Crusade Through the Gate
by Ruby Tyra
Summary: Amestris, 1915. USA, 1938. Two different times with different people, different places. However, those worlds are about to intertwine under difficult circumstances. Will our two heroes be able to get along or will chaos issue from their partnership?
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Here is a new story I've been working on for a while. It's a crossover between Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (my favorite of the four movies) and Fullmetal Alchemist. I hope you enjoy the fanfiction!_

_Disclaimers: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Indiana Jones. They belong to their respective owners._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter One - Parallel Worlds

"Brother! Please calm down before you go in there!" pleaded Alphonse as he followed an irritated State Alchemist down the halls of Central Headquarters.

"I don't want to hear it, Al," growled Edward, his foul mood showing all too clearly in his voice and composure. "I swear, when I see that ba-"

"Brother!"

"I'll punch that smirk right off his smug face, that as-"

"Brother!"

"And he'll regret ever sending us on that Godforsaken mission," finished Edward, ignoring his brother's attempts to stop his foul mouth.

Alphonse sighed in defeat as he reluctantly followed his seething brother, realizing that he reassured the surrounding soldiers slightly. At least if Edward's temper went off, they were sure Alphonse would hold him down; they hoped.

After a while, the Elric brothers arrived at their destination, the elder almost breaking down the door as he entered.

"Ah, Fullmetal, I see your back already," stated Colonel Mustang casually, leaning back in his chair, eyeing the young man.

"Don't give me that!" growled Edward, approaching the man with a dark glare. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't punch that damn smirk off your face."

"I'm your superior officer."

"Not good enough," snapped Edward, a smirk of his own spreading across his face. "I'm so going to enjoy this."

"Brother!" cried Alphonse, rushing to his side, ready to hold him back.

"And why would you wish to hit me?" wondered Mustang as he almost imperceptibly moved in his seat, prepared to dodge in case Edward made true to his promise.

"You sent us once again on a wild goose chase, that's why! Can you not get your facts straight before you send us somewhere?"

"When did the lack of facts ever stop you, Fullmetal?"

"They don't stop me, they irritate me beyond reason!" yelled Edward, slamming his hands on the Colonel's desk, almost breaking it, not that he would have cared.

"Fullmetal, what I think you fail to realize," began Mustang, seeming unfazed by the young man's outburst, "is that your entire quest is based on a myth, no matter how true it may be."

Edward breathed deeply as he glared towards the Colonel, in anger just boiling deep within him, threatening to burst out and take out its entire rage on the man in front of him.

_Oh, how I hate him!_ thought Edward angrily.

* * *

"Archaeology is based on fact, not truth. If it is truth you're looking for, Professor Tyree's philosophy class is down the hall," explained Doctor Indiana Jones to his class.

Indiana continued until the bell rang, reminding his students to read the assigned chapters before motioning towards Marcus to come so he could show him what he had obtained.

"Marcus, I got it," he exclaimed softly, opening the drawer of his desk and pulling out the artefact.

"Wonderful, Indy! I knew you could do it!" replied Marcus, removing part of the cloth and examining the piece. "Just wonderful," he repeated.

"Do you know how long I've been after that?"

"Your entire life?"

"My entire life," agreed Indiana, his smile never fading.

A little later on, once Marcus had left, Indiana began packing his things to return to his office.

However, he stopped for a moment, a chill passing down his spine. He glanced around the room, sensing that he was being watched but found no one there. He brushed the feeling off as paranoia as he placed the last documents into his bag and closing it.

He was about to grasp the handle when he felt it once again. He whirled around, scanning the classroom but still found no one.

"Something is bound to happen today," he murmured to himself, frowning as he pulled the door open slowly, his gaze still on the room. "And I don't think I'll like it too much."

* * *

Edward stormed down the halls of Central Headquarters, his younger brother in tow. However, Alphonse did not dare say anything to the irritated blond in front of him until they were safely away from the military base and on a deserted street so that no innocent bystanders could feel the wrath of Edward Elric.

"Brother," called Alphonse softly, catching the young man's attention. "Are you still angry at the Colonel?"

"Of course I am, Al!" cried Edward, throwing his arms into the air in exasperation. "That man is out to drive me crazy! I just know it!"

"Now, Brother, I don't believe that," sighed Alphonse, stopping and looking down at the young man. "He really is trying to help us... I wish both of you would just stop fighting over such trivial things..."

Edward was about to reply to that statement when a shadow moved in the alley several feet away from the siblings.

"Who's there?" yelled the young man, taking a cautious step towards the alley. "Show yourself!"

"And why should I follow your orders?" wondered the hidden person, a slight hint of laughter in his voice. "Hein, Pipsqueak?"

"Envy!" growled Edward, clenching his fists.

The young man made to dash towards the source of the voice when Alphonse yelled out in surprise. Edward whirled around towards his brother only to see him being carried away by the large homunculus, Gluttony.

"Leave him alone!" yelled Edward, running after his brother and his captor.

* * *

Indiana seemed to be right when he thought something would happen that day. However, he would never have imagined it to be such shocking and revealing news.

One; that the Holy Grail was more than the bedtime story he had thought it had been all these years. That it really did exist and that he was a step closer to discovering it.

Two; that the only reason he was a step closer was because his father had discovered new evidence leading to its hiding place.

And third; because his father had been closer to discovering the location of the Holy Grail, he had disappeared without a trace in Venice.

"Could this day get any worse?" he mumbled, staring into the clear sky, sensing that there was one last thing to happen that day, something big. "Bigger than my own father getting kidnapped? Now that I have to see," he murmured, shaking his head.

* * *

Edward cautiously made his way through the dark alley, his breathing slightly laboured from the running. _Where did they go?_ He thought, angrily, trying to make out any shapes through the darkness.

"What the hell did Envy want?" growled Edward, squinting against the darkness though he did trip over some of the trash spread across the floor. "When I find him, I'll kill him with my bare hands."

"Ah... The Pipsqueak still hasn't given up!" laughed a voice further away, catching Edward's attention.

"Where are you, Envy?" shouted the blond alchemist, his patience having worn thin ages ago. "And where is Al? What have you done with him?"

"Oh, your brother is safe, don't worry. We dropped him back off at HQ where your dear friend the Colonel should be finding him sometime soon," explained Envy, finally leaving the safety of the shadows. "However, if I were you, I would be worrying about my own well-being at the moment seeing as you are outnumbered in a dark, isolated alley."

Edward's eyes widened slightly upon hearing that the two of them were not alone. He whirled around, trying to make out any other shape there and, within moments, he realized that he was indeed surrounded by several homunculi.

He cursed heavily under his breath.

"Now, no need for such language here, Edward," reprimanded Lust, an evil smirk on her lips.

"We just need you out of the way for a while," explained Envy, approaching the tense alchemist.

"Yeah, like that will ever happen," snapped the young man, positioning himself into a fighter's stance.

"Oh, believe me, it will," laughed Envy, moving towards him casually.

Edward growled in annoyance, ready for a fight. However, as Envy lunged towards him, Lust extended her nails, slapping them in the back of the young man. He yelled out in surprise, stumbling forward, right into Envy's oncoming fist. It made contact the side of Edward's face and he fell to the floor, groaning in pain.

The other homunculi took this opportunity to attack the defenceless alchemist, pummelling him to the ground each time he attempted to stand.

The one sided battle continued for several more minutes until Envy marched up to Edward, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and lifting him off the ground.

"See you around, Pipsqueak," laughed Envy, tossing the young man further down the alley.

Just as Edward landed, the transmutation circle carved into the alley floor under him activated. The young man gasped in surprise as he looked down, blue electric light erupting from every corner of the carving. Edward could only catch a glimpse of Envy's wicked smirk before the light grew too bright and the young man lost consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note:_ _Here is the next chapter of the story! I'm glad there are some readers who like my story so far! Thank you! Oh! And, reviews are highly appreciated! Thanks!_

_**Disclaimers:** I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Inidana Jones! They belong to their repsective owners!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Two - Spreaken Ze English?

"Really Indy, do you actually plan on going?" wondered Marcus as he followed his friend up the front steps of the house.

"Of course. It's my father we're talking about. He's a bookworm, not a field man," sighed Indiana, opening the front door. "He should have stayed home on this one," he added under his breath, shaking his head.

The duo walked into the house, Indiana glancing around quickly.

"Dad?" he called, a small part of him hoping that what Donovan had told him was false.

Indiana searched a little more before entering the living room, stopping suddenly out of surprise. The entire area was a mess: the furniture was turned over, drawers were thrown open, their contents scattered across the room.

"Oh my...," gasped Marcus, stepping up next to Indiana. "What happened here?"

"They must have been looking for something," explained Indiana softly, making his way through the room cautiously. "But I wonder... Marcus, come over here."

The man was surprised at first but made his way towards his friend. As he approached, he noticed that Indiana was staring down at something hidden behind the overturned sofa.

"Indy, what is...? Oh!"

Sprawled on the floor was a young man, his golden blond hair cascading around him. His clothes seemed torn at some areas and a large bruise was forming on the right side of his face. Indiana slowly knelt to the ground, examining the young man. _Where did he come from?_ He wondered, reaching towards the injured person, wanting to try to wake him up.

"Marcus, can you go get some ice for his face?" wondered Indiana softly, looking back slightly at his friend.

"Of course," agreed the man, quickly leaving the room and heading towards the kitchen.

"Hey," called Indiana, shaking the young man's left shoulder gently. "Hey, wake up."

The young man groaned softly, shifting on the floor slightly. After a moment, his eyes fluttered open and they squinted against the sunlight which entered the room. As they glanced around, Indiana took the time to stare in awe at the golden irises of the young man.

"_Where am I?_" he breathed, his throat dry and his voice cracking.

Indiana's eyebrows rose as he recognized the language he was using was German. _Is he with the Nazis?_ He wondered, thinking over what he was going to do. The young man finally turned his head towards the archaeologist, frowning slightly.

"_Who are you?_" he asked, groaning softly.

"Indy, I have the ice," declared Marcus, entering the room and kneeling next to the man. "Oh! I see you're awake. How are you feeling?"

The young man stared at the two friends, his face plastered with a look of puzzlement as he slowly sat up.

"I don't think he understands us," suggested Indiana, staring back at the young man. "The question is what do we do with him?"

"Well, that all depends on you, Indy," began Marcus as he held out the packet of ice, motioning for the young man to place it on the side of his face. "He is in your house."

The young man watched the discussion taking place right in front of him, blinking occasionally out of puzzlement. When Marcus had handed him the ice pack, he reluctantly took it and place it on the side of his head where a constant throbbing had grown irritating and bothersome. The young man watched as Indiana sighed in frustration, rubbing his forehead before glancing towards him once again.

"Does the word '_Nazis_' mean anything to you?" he wondered, watching the injured man's reaction.

He stared at the archaeologist, his face scrunching up, trying to understand what in the world he had said.

"Nazis," repeated Indiana. "Yes," he nodded his head. "No," he shook his head, hoping that the young man would understand at least that.

"People who have this sign on them," added Marcus, showing the young man the sign of the swastika to him.

The young man eyes' widened as he recognized the symbol. He nodded his head and pointed towards the drawing.

"Wait, 'yes' to Nazis or to the swastika?" wondered Indiana, sighing in frustration, seeing as the interrogation of the young man was going nowhere, fast.

"_People with these symbols on them did this to the room,_" explained the young man in German, motioning towards the drawing and then the room.

"Well, Indy, I believe he is trying to tell us that the Nazis are behind this," remarked Marcus, nodding his thanks to the blond man.

"I kind of figured that part," murmured the archaeologist, removing his fedora and passing his hand through his hair. "What I want to know is if he is with the Nazis or not. Maybe I should have learnt German... But what is he doing here if he can't speak English?"

Meanwhile, the young man also realized that they were going nowhere because of the language barrier. He glanced around the room, surprised by how much the Nazis had destroyed it. There were countless books thrown across the floor but one caught his eye. He shakily stood, cutting off the men's discussion and made his way towards the book, picking it up. He showed it to Indiana and Marcus, a small, triumphant smile on his lips.

"German... English...," he explained, remembering hearing Indiana pronounce those two same words moment's ago and figuring it was the two languages they spoke.

"Perfect," breathed the archaeologist in relief. "I had forgotten that Dad kept a book with translations of German words."

However, the young man was already flipping through the pages, searching for the words he wanted to express.

"Nazis... destroy house," he explained, looking up from book quickly before flipping some more. "Nazis... have drawing... arm."

"Right," nodded Indiana, too relieved to care about the grammar at the moment.

"Right...," repeated the young man, his nose in the book once again.

"Wait," called the archaeologist, catching the young man's attention. "Do you work for the Nazis?" he asked, only to be rewarded by a confused stare. "Okay... You," he pointed towards the blond man, "work... for... Nazis..."

"Work... for...," he repeated under his breath, searching for those words in the book, wanting to figure out what they meant. "Nazis..." He finally looked up, a frown on his face. "No... I no work for Nazis...," he replied.

"I think we'll have to trust him for now, Indy," suggested Marcus, glancing towards his friend, "unless you were planning on leaving him here."

Indiana eyed the young man in front of him, thinking everything over.

"Why are you here?" he wondered, approaching the blond man. "You, here, why?"

"Enemy send me... here. I want... to just go home...," he replied after a moment of searching.

"You, can come, with us," explained Indiana, motioning first to the young man, then to himself and Marcus before leaving him the time to search for the meaning of some of the words. "Maybe we can help and you can help us."

"Help?" repeated the young man after he found the meaning of that word. "Yes, I help and... you help me."

"Good," nodded Indiana, taking a deep breath. "We're getting somewhere."

"By the way," began Marcus, standing and approaching the young man. "My name is Marcus Brody," he explained, nodding towards him. "But Marcus is just fine."

"Marcus Brody," he repeated, nodding in return.

"And I'm Indiana Jones," added the other man, "Indy, for short."

"Indiana Jones."

"And yours?" wondered Marcus.

"Edward Elric. But Ed... fine," he explained.

"By the way, how old are you?" wondered Marcus before the trio left the room, only to be rewarded by another confused face. "Age?"

"Age...," murmured Edward, searching through the book once again.

When he found the word and read the translation, he frowned deeply, looking up at Marcus.

"_Are you implying something?_" he yelled in German. "_I am NOT short for my age! How about I cut off your feet so that people make fun of your height?"_

The two men stared at Edward, shocked by his outburst. They glanced towards each other, wondering why the young man had yelled out so violently and what he had said.

"I... sixteen," he growled, glaring at them.

"I think he's sensitive about his height," whispered Marcus towards Indiana.

"Really? I wonder what gave you that idea...," he breathed, shaking his head.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has read and especially those who have reviewed my story! This chapter is much longer than the others. I just could not find the right moment to cut it so, there you have it, a really long chapter! Yay!_

_**Disclaimers**: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Indiana Jones._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Three - Ah... Venice

It had taken the trio a while to reach Venice, Italy and, when they landed, Indiana was beyond relieved.

At first, since they were bringing Edward along, he needed papers to be able to travel, which he seemed not to possess. Therefore, with a lot of convincing from both Indiana and Marcus, they managed to get some documents from the government, allowing the young man to travel with them.

The second thing that tired Indiana out was the fact that, during all that time and before boarding the plane, he had to communicate with Edward through a mixture of sign language and the simplest of vocabulary for him to understand. It was either that or talking to him as he constantly had his nose in a book, trying to translate every word Indiana or Marcus said.

_I think I'm starting to regret bringing him along,_ thought Indiana with a quick sigh, glancing towards the young man.

Since they had left Indiana's father's home, Edward's injuries had slowly begun to fade away. However, the large bruise on the side of his face was still slightly visible, the skin a light hint of purple and blue.

As Indiana eyed his companion, he realized that he never asked Edward how he had gotten those injuries. He had assumed, when he had found him, that the Nazis who had ransacked his father's house were behind it but he was not one hundred percent sure.

"Indy," called Marcus as the trio debarked from the small boat onto the dock, "how will we know this 'Dr. Schneider' when we see him?"

Indiana did not even look back at his friend as he continued to walk. He noticed Edward glance up slightly, as if waiting for an answer though Indiana was positive that the young man only understood a few words of the question.

"I don't know," he replied, waiting for Marcus to catch up. "Maybe he'll know us."

"Dr. Jones?"

The trio turned around and spotted a woman walking up to them, her sun blond hair pinned back and her silver-blue eyes glanced quickly over all of them.

"Yes?" replied Indiana, walking up to her.

"I knew it was you," she smiled. "You have your father's eyes."

"And my mother's ears, but the rest belongs to you," he explained with a charming smile.

Unknown by the three adults, Edward stared at Indiana, his face scrunched in disgust. He turned around quickly so that the woman did not see him but he added to the expression by faking being sick. If anyone had seen him, they would have found it funny or would have worried about Edward's mental health.

During that time, Indiana and the woman continued their discussion, Marcus adding himself to the conversation soon afterwards.

"And who may this young one be?" wondered the woman, motioning towards Edward.

He took a deep breath, his fists clenching tightly. However, when he turned around, he tried his best to hide his anger.

"Ah, this is Edward Elric, he's accompanying us," explained Indiana, obvious to the young man's anger.

"Well, nice to meet you," she nodded, smiling towards him. "I'm Elsa Schneider," she explained before turning towards Indiana once again. "I had been with your father when he disappeared. He seemed very close to discovering the location of the knight's tomb."

As the conversation continued and Elsa led them towards the library where Indiana's father was last seen, Edward stared at the two of them, a small frown forming on his face. _I don't trust her... I can't say for sure why yet but... Something just doesn't feel right,_ he thought, watching as Indiana stole a flower and offered it to Elsa. _I'm going to be sick if he keeps this up. His flirting is beginning to irritate me; worse than Mustang's...,_ he thought, taking a deep breath.

"Here we are," explained Elsa as the group walked towards a large building.

"That doesn't look like a library," remarked Indiana, surprised as they began to climb the front steps.

"It used to be an old church which was then transformed into a library," explained Elsa as she led them to a specific area. "This is where I last saw your father. Now, if you'll excuse me, the library is closing shortly. I will arrange for us to stay longer."

Edward watched from further as Indiana and Marcus began whispering about something quickly before Indiana pulled out a small book Edward had seen him look through a few times prior. However, the young man was not paying attention to what was said; he was staring at the stained glass in front of him. _Why do they always seem to be looking at something?_ He thought, crossing his arms. _But... there are also numbers underneath and, usually, artists would not put something just for the fun of it. _He gaze wandered around for an instant before he spotted a number carved into a pillar right next to the stained glass. _Bingo,_ he thought, smirking. _Well, there is one, _he looked to the other side, _and there is the other. There is only the ten missing..._

Edward eyed the stained glass again thinking the problem over. _Wait... this used to be a church... And if we're looking for a tomb, those would be underground,_ he concluded, looking down. _Bingo._

"Dad wasn't looking for a book about the knight's tomb, he was looking for the tomb itself," concluded Indiana, approaching the stained glass.

Edward shook his head in amusement, tapping his foot lightly on the ground, a triumphant smirk on his face.

"Spread out and look for the ten," ordered Indiana quickly, seeming excited about the idea that the tomb was nearby.

Edward could not help it in anymore and, with a large smirk, he cleared his throat loudly, catching the three adults' attention. He raised an eyebrow and tapped his foot once again on the floor.

"Edward," began Indiana, shaking his head, "now is not the ti..."

Before he could finish, the archaeologist noticed what Edward was trying to show them. Underneath his foot was a large, roman numeral: ten, which formed a large X on the ground.

"Well... I guess X does mark the spot," murmured Indiana, shaking his head. "Good job kid," he added, nodding his head toward the young man.

Edward frowned slightly at the nickname but stepped aside to let Indiana examine the tiles on the floor as Marcus and Elsa approached.

"Good job, Edward, very observant," remarked Marcus, patting the young man on the shoulder.

Meanwhile, Indiana had begun smashing the corner of one of the tiles, trying to break it. Each hit echoed through the nearly deserted library and the group hoped that no one would come to see what they were up to.

Finally, Indiana managed to break the corner of the tile and he heaved it out of its place. A large cavernous area lay underneath it, making Indiana smile broadly in anticipation. As he helped Elsa down, he looked up at the two other men.

"Marcus, stay here with Edward and keep an eye out, alright?" he suggested as he swung his feet inside the hole.

"Of course," agreed Marcus, keeping a hand on the young man's shoulder, motioning for him to stay.

Edward eyed Marcus first and then Indiana, a look that spelled disbelief plastered on his face.

"You, stay, here," repeated Indiana, motioning to the young man and then to the spot where Edward knelt.

"Fine," grumbled the young man under his breath.

"Good, oh, and Marcus, keep this safe for me," he whispered, handing his friend the book Edward had seen him with moments before. "Well, see both of you later," called the archaeologist, lowering himself into the hole.

As Marcus knelt in front of the hole in the ground, Edward sat a little further away, his legs stretched out in front of him. He stared at the hole, slightly irritated that Indiana had wanted him to stay behind and have Marcus babysit him. He took a deep breath, trying to control his anger but he still felt it simmer deep within him. _Is it because he thinks we can't communicate? I could always talk to Elsa in German but I don't trust her to do so... There is still something off with her,_ he thought, puzzled.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps from the metal staircase behind them, heading towards them. He frowned, remembering that the library was supposed to be closed by now. He glanced back, pulling his legs close to him. He eyed Marcus quickly, realizing that the man was oblivious to the approaching people since he seemed too preoccupied by waiting for Indiana and Elsa to return. _Fine, I guess I'll take care of them,_ thought Edward, hearing the last of the group leave the metal staircase and the first one a few feet away. When Edward sensed that the man stopped behind him, the young man rolled back and pushed off the ground with his arms, aiming his legs towards the man behind him. The new arrival yelled out in surprise before Edward's legs reached him, knocking him back.

Within seconds, Edward was on his feet and turned around, facing the four men. They all held guns and one was approaching Marcus who had finally turned around and stared at them in surprise. Edward dashed for the closest enemy to Marcus, punching him square in the face before kneeling down, swiping his leg underneath him and knocking the man down.

"Edward!" cried Marcus in surprise.

The young man ignored him for the moment, heading towards another enemy.

However, after a while, Edward was slowly outnumbered.

"Excuse me!"

Edward glanced back and spotted Marcus held by two of the men. The young man sighed in frustration, kicking out to the closest enemy before rushing towards his companion.

"Forget about me, Edward," called Marcus as they began to drag him away. "Go warn Indy!"

"I am not going to leave you, you idiot!" yelled Edward before his way was block by the largest man of the group.

Marcus, for a moment, was surprised. _When did Edward learn English?_ He wondered, realizing that the young man spoke without a German accent but a mixture of an American and a British accent. _Wait, he was reading something in the airplane coming here,_ he remembered. _Was it the book he found at Indy's? But... How could he have learnt all of that in such a short time?_

Meanwhile, Edward was having trouble knocking down the man in front of him.

"Edward, just go!" yelled Marcus.

"I told you before that-," he ducked down, avoiding a punch aimed in his direction, "I am not leaving you!"

"I'll be alright. But someone has to warn Indy," explained Marcus before the men who were holding him down knocked him out with a hit from a handgun.

Edward growled in frustration and swiped at the enemy in front of him with his right fist, knocking him to the ground. He knocked the others down hastily before jumping down the hole, into the catacombs. He landed gracefully and took a moment to look around. He cursed under his breath when he noticed that the entire area was bathed in darkness.

Glancing up for an instant, he stood quickly and headed into the darkness, searching his pockets. The clothes he was wearing were from Indiana's old clothes, from his childhood and, surprising Edward, he pulled out a small lighter. _Well, thanks Indiana,_ he thought, lighting it and searching for the passage the two adults had taken. He jogged through the catacombs and spotted a wall that was broken down. _So much for preserving ancient areas,_ he thought, entering the room quickly.

However, when he placed one foot into the new corridor, a loud splash resounded throughout the area. _Water?_ He wondered, looking around. _No... oil,_ he realized, glancing to the side. _It doesn't matter now. I need to find them._

Edward jumped onto the side of the hallway, where there was no oil and began to jog through the entanglement of spider webs, bones and rats. Halfway through, Edward grew impatient and jumped down into the oil since the rats kept getting in his way. When the oil came up near his waist, he was finally able to hear voices up ahead. _There they are!_ He thought, slightly relieved.

He turned the corner, faintly out of breath, catching the adults' attention.

"Edward? What are you doing here?" wondered Indiana, surprised from his spot on top of the furthest tomb.

Edward was about to explain what happened when the hallway erupted into a cacophony of noises. The young man glanced back, spotting hundreds of rats heading towards them.

Soon after, an orange-red glow appeared on the walls.

"Shit...," breathed Edward, running the best he could towards the adults.

"Help me with this!" ordered Indiana, trying to turn the tomb of the knight over.

Elsa quickly came over and pushed as well. Once Edward reached them, he realized how high the oil was at that point, covering his stomach.

"Alright, take a deep breath!" ordered Indiana, doing what he said and diving under the oil.

Edward watched as Elsa immediately imitated him before looking back.

"SHIT!" he yelled out, spotting a wall of flames heading towards him.

He took a deep breath and dived underneath the oil. He opened his eyes slightly and spotted Indiana and Elsa right in front of him. He moved the best he could towards them before breaking the surface, taking a deep breath.

"Thank God," breathed Indiana, shaking his head. "I thought you were still out there."

Edward shook his head, spitting out some of the oil in disgust. Swimming was not his forte.

"Now, both of you stay here, I'll be right back," explained Indiana, taking a deep breath and diving under once again.

"Indy! Where are you going?" called Elsa in surprised.

Edward stayed slightly away from her, trying his best to keep his head over the level of oil. _Damn... We can't stay here forever. The fire will burn all of the oxygen from the air. That means... We'll have to swim out of here,_ he realized, dreading the idea. _I can't swim!_

However, he was pulled out of his thoughts when Elsa began yelling out loudly. He looked over to her, thinking that maybe some of the fire made its way into the tomb but stared in irritation that it was because rats began to enter the tomb and they were clinging to her hair. He shook his head, feeling that there was also a rat or maybe two on his head but he did not mind, he had been through worse.

Suddenly, Indiana returned, breathing deeply. He spotted Elsa and heard her yelling before helping her remove the rats from her hair.

"Alright, there is a way out but you need to take a very deep breath, got it?" he wondered, eyeing both Elsa and Edward.

They both nodded in understanding before Indiana returned it. They all took a deep breath and the archaeologist led the way underwater. However, when they entered the tunnel and had to swim up, Edward began to panic, knowing that he would not be able to do so.

As the adults swam, Edward glanced to the sides and noticed the some of the bricks with which the tunnel was made of were sticking out. He grabbed onto them and began to pull himself up, all while trying his best to hold his breath the longest possible.

Suddenly, near the top, Edward broke the surface of the water, breathing heavily. He clung to the wall, trying to regain his breath before he realized that Indiana and Elsa were already near the exit. The young man spotted the ladder they were using and flung himself towards it.

Taking a deep breath, he heaved himself up and followed the adults as fast as possible.

Daylight spilled into the tunnel as Edward realized that they had been going through a sewer. He heaved himself up and out, smiling slightly at the locals reactions to the three of them. Indiana and Elsa were already standing and Edward soon joined them, his breathing slightly heavy.

Suddenly, from the library exited a group of men, all of them running.

Edward quickly recognized them as the group that had attacked him and Marcus and turned around to warn Indiana. However, the archaeologist was already running, pulling Elsa along behind him.

Edward stared at them for a moment before quickly following, his anger beginning to boil once again. _Are they forgetting that I'm still here? _he wondered, irritated. _Indiana is forgetting that he was the one who suggested I tag along. Maybe I should give him a good punch so that he remembers later on._ The young man glanced back, spotting the group hot on their heels. He cursed under his breath and picked up the speed, catching up soon enough to the two adults.

However, moments later, Indiana pulled Elsa into a side street, catching Edward off guard. The young man skidded to a halt, wanting to turn around when gunshots resounded through the street and bullets hit the wall near Edward. He glanced back and spotted the men, one of them with a gun in his hands, bridging the gap quickly. Edward decided then to keep running in the same direction, taking the first side street he came across. _Damn all of this! What do these guys want?_ Wondered Edward, ducking through another alley as bullets ricocheted off the corner of the building.

The men who had followed him turned the corner as well and ran a few steps before slowing to a stop. In the long alley, they could not spot the person they were pursuing.

"Up here!"

The men looked up, only to be rewarded by Edward's feet slamming into two of their faces. He pushed himself off of them, making them fall to the floor as he dived onto the third man, fist raised and aimed for a punch. The man yelled out in surprise before Edward's fist landed square onto his nose, breaking it and sending them both to the ground.

However, the young man landed on his feet compared to the assailant who hit several wooden boxes before reaching the ground, unconscious.

Breathing heavily, Edward turned around towards the two other men who had regained the composure. One picked up his gun as the other pulled out a long knife. Edward groaned in frustration, positioning himself in a fighter's stance, eyeing both men.

Within moments, the one with the gun began firing towards Edward who ran head first into the midst, dodging the bullets left and right before coming up right next to the assailant. Edward slammed the heel of his hand under the gun, knocking it into the air. The man watched the gun as it flew, leaving him wide open for Edward's knee kick and jab.

The man fell to the floor unconscious.

Edward whirled around, ready to face the last man as he gripped his long knife tightly in front of him, ready. The two stood at a face off, staring each other down.

Suddenly, the gun that the other man had been holding finally landed on the ground not far from the duo. However, upon impact, it discharged, firing several bullets.

Some reached the man, injuring him on his arm and leg. He fell to the floor in pain, releasing his grip on the knife he was holding.

Meanwhile, Edward had taken advantage of this and had taken a step towards the man. However, he had not anticipated the trajectory of the other bullets.

And one reached him.

The bullet grazed his left leg, thankfully not hitting it dead on. However, Edward might have wished it had in another part of his leg. The bullet had grazed the area just above his knee.

He yelled out in pain, tripping to the ground, his left leg staying stretched out behind him.

The two fighters stayed on the ground for a moment, each trying to cope with the pain. Edward glanced up for an instant, noticing that the knife was mere inches from his right hand. However, the same could be said for the man's right hand.

Swiftly, Edward snatched the knife, making it seconds before the man. The young man pointed the weapon in the assailant's direction, breathing deeply as he shakily pushed himself up.

"Why did you attack us?" demanded Edward, the knife still pointed towards the man, inches from his neck.

"You and your companions know too much."

"About what?"

"The Holy Grail, we are protectors and we shall insure that its secret will stay safe forever."

Edward stared at the man, wondering what Indiana was actually looking for: his father or the Grail. He frowned in confusion before slowly approaching the man and bringing the hilt of the knife on the back of the man's neck, knocking him unconscious instantly.

"_What are Indiana's intentions? And what is so important about a grail?_"

* * *

"Now, I believe I will take my leave now." Kazim stood on the dock, looking down at Indiana and Elsa. "By the way," he added before turning to leave, "your companion is full of surprises; he caused quite some damage to my men previously." A small smile spread on his lips at the thought. "You are lucky to have him on your side."

Indiana nodded though, in his mind, he was trying to imagine Marcus doing something like that and was unable to. Once Kazim walked away, the archaeologist drove the boat away from the dock and made his way down the canal. Elsa, beside him, stayed silent, recovering from the previous fight.

After a moment, Indiana heard a faint sound but his mind was not paying attention to it as he tried to put together the information he had just received. The sound was repeated a few more times, each one ignored by Indiana. However, suddenly, the boat shook dangerously and Elsa yelled out in surprise. Indiana glanced back and spotted Edward kneeling on the back of the boat, looking slightly irritated.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Edward?" asked Indiana in surprise as the young man casually walked up to the back seats and plopped into them.

"I believe he was calling your name previously, though," explained Elsa, her hand on her chest as she tried to calm her racing heart. "But I think we were too preoccupied to realize it."

"Oh... Sorry, Kid," called Indiana, glancing back slightly to look at the young man.

He noticed the small frown on Edward's face, making the archaeologist wonder if he understood that part seeing as the young man was sensitive about his height.

The rest of the boat ride was silent until they reached the dock near their hotel. Indiana tossed the rope onto the pier and jumped off, pulling the boat closer and helping Elsa debark as well. He was about to help Edward but the young man had already hopped onto the dock. Indiana was about to head towards the hotel when he realized something.

"Did you leave Marcus?" he wondered, turning towards the young man.

Edward, who was kneeling on the ground, stood slowly, looking at Indiana. After a moment, he nodded and opened his mouth to explain.

"I can't believe you left him," sighed Indiana as he began heading towards the hotel, Elsa close behind. "Is it because those men... Ah... Never mind... Why am I still trying to talk to you? It's not like you understand or anything..."

He glanced back, spotting Edward staring at him, a frown deepening on his face. The archaeologist sighed in frustration, shaking his head.

"Maybe next time we should leave you somewhere so that you don't get into trouble," he called.

"Oh just shut up!" yelled Edward, making Indiana skid to a halt in surprise and turn around. "I did not leave Marcus because I wanted to! He told me to go... to go warn you about those men! You can ask him yourself if you want to! And, I do not need to be left behind for my own... protection! You three do!"

Indiana stared at the young man, his mouth hanging open. Elsa stood next to him, wearing almost the same face.

"Where... Where did you learn to speak English?" wondered Indiana in shock.

Edward did not answer but bolted past the two adults, running towards the hotel. As he left, Indiana finally noticed the state of the young man. His golden blond hair was partly out of its normal braid and his clothes were filthy and torn, worse than Indiana's or Elsa's.

"Come on, let's go," sighed the archaeologist in frustration.

* * *

_Author's Note: Please review to tell me what you think!!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: I would like to thank all of my reviewers! It's always a pleasure reading your comments!!_

_**Disclaimers:** I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Indiana Jones. They belong to their respective owners._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Four - In a Nutshell

"Indy, you seem irritated? What is it?" wondered Marcus after the two of them had discussed what their plans would be.

"Kid problems," murmured Indiana, massaging his forehead.

"Oh yes, Edward did seem angry when he had arrived. Wasn't he with you, though?"

"He decided to head here without us," explained Indiana, shaking his head. "Marcus, did you know he can now speak English?"

"Oh yes, I found out in the library. Let me tell you it was very shocking," he laughed, remembering what Edward had yelled out. "And I also found out that he's pretty good in a fight. That was also another surprise," added Marcus.

"Wait... You mean to tell me Edward was the one Kazim was talking about? That he injured most of those men?" whispered Indiana in disbelief. "And I thought he was just a brat..."

"Oh Indy," sighed Marcus, shaking his head. "Don't tell me you were hard on him. Why, when those men ambushed us in the library, Edward didn't want to leave me. He called me an idiot for suggesting it but, he left only after I ordered him to go and warn you about them. And, just before, when he was coming up, he was limping from an injury, didn't you notice it, Indy?"

Indiana leaned back in his chair, sighing loudly. He passed his hand through his hair, thinking everything over. After a moment, he remembered that he had seen Edward kneeling on the ground before they returned to the hotel. _He was not kneeling because he was tired... He was kneeling because he was injured... _He cursed under his breath, stuffing the grail diary into his pocket before standing.

"You are going to go see him, right?" wondered Marcus.

"I guess so," replied Indiana, leaving the room.

The archaeologist closed the door behind him and walked down the hall towards Edward's room. He hesitated a moment before knocking at the young man's door. From the other side, there was a sort of acknowledgment and Indiana slowly opened the door.

"Hey, Edward," he called as he looked around the room, searching for his companion.

After a moment, he spotted the young man seated near the window, staring down at the canal. On the window sill, a book lay open, its pages fluttering lightly in the breeze. Indiana walked up to the young man and pulled up a chair, placing it next to Edward's.

"What are you doing?" he wondered, sitting down casually.

"Reading," he replied without glancing towards the man.

Indiana glanced at the book on the window sill and realized that it was the one Edward had picked up from Indiana's father's house. _He has been reading the translations all this time? _He thought, raising his eyebrows.

"Surprised, no?" murmured Edward, glancing towards the archaeologist. "I do not think you were... expecting that, no?"

"No, I wasn't," replied Indiana, shaking his head. "How did you learn all of that in such a short time?"

"It was easy for me...," whispered Edward as Indiana stared at him for a moment, thinking over what he wanted to say.

"Hey, listen, I'm... I'm sorry about before," he murmured, glancing towards the young man.

Edward looked up at him, his golden irises sill a puzzle for Indiana. However, after a moment, the young man chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"I did not think you were someone who would say something like that," he explained as he continued to laugh softly.

"I could just take it back," replied Indiana with a smile. "By the way, where did you learn to fight like that? From what Marcus and Kazim told me, you're pretty good."

"I have been practising since I was young," explained Edward, stretching. "My teacher thought that to... to train? Is that right?" he wondered, glancing towards Indiana who nodded. "That to train your mind, you have to also train your body."

"He seems to know what he's doing, you teacher."

"She. She knows what _she_ is doing," corrected Edward, surprising the archaeologist. "Yes, my teacher was a woman but that never stopped her. She is very... very tough."

"Well, to have the patience with you, she had to be," joked Indiana, earning a dark glare from the young man. "But, now that it is easier to communicate, I think things will go smoother from now on."

"I agree but...," Edward scrunched his face, not as if trying to find a word, but more like he was having an internal debate. "Ah... Never mind," he sighed, shaking his head.

"Well, when you feel like telling me, I'm all ears," explained the archaeologist, earning a confused stare from the young man. "It's an expression. It just means that I'll be listening."

"Oh, it sort of makes sense," murmured Edward, still puzzled.

"By the way, tomorrow, you and Marcus are heading to Iskenderun."

"And you are not coming," finished Edward, eyeing the man.

"No, Elsa and I will be heading to Austria to where the Nazis are keeping my father. You and Marcus can get a head start on them. Besides, Marcus' sense of direction is..."

"Lacking."

"In a way," chuckled Indiana. "Also, I'll feel better knowing that you're with him."

"So, I have to babysit him?"

"Not the words I would have used but, in a nutshell, yes."

Edward stared at Indiana once again, puzzled. He had understood that the basic idea of him going with Marcus was to protect him but he did not understand where a nutshell fit into the idea.

"Never mind. You get the idea though, no?"

"Yes but the nutshell is still puzzling me," replied Edward, scratching his head.

"Well, just forget about that then," suggested Indiana, shaking his head.

"All right," murmured Edward, still confused.

Indiana watched the young man and a small smirk appeared on his face. He chuckled softly, shaking his head. Edward caught this and turned towards the man.

"What's so funny?" he wondered, crossing his arms.

"I told you to forget about the nutshell expression."

"Well, you should not have brought a piece of food into a conversation," replied the young man, matter-of-factly.

"It's an _expression_," repeated Indiana, loudly, his smile still showing.

"It's stupid, that's what it is."

"I don't disagree but can you just forget about it?"

Edward glanced towards him one last time before his attention returned to his book. Indiana watched him for a moment and wondered if the young man had something else on his mind. However, when he voiced this thought, he only received a negative reply.

"Nothing is on my mind right now but going through these words again," answered Edward, looking back up at the archaeologist.

When Indiana tried to read his expression, the man found it difficult, almost impossible to do so, making him wonder about Edward even more.

"All right, see later then, Kid," called Indiana, standing and heading towards the door, not before noticing the slight frown that appeared on the young man's face because of the nickname.


	5. Chapter 5

__

_**Author's Note**: __Here is the next chapter and I'm sorry it took so long! It is on the short side but the next chapter should be up soon!_

_**Disclaimers**: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Indiana Jones._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Five - Double Agent

_Several days later..._

Indiana was beyond irritated with his father. The entire conversation had once again revolved around archaeology and his father was blaming him for bringing the diary all the way there. He had come to save him! And he found the tomb of Sir Richard! And this is the thanks he got? He just could not take it anymore.

He was about to lunge at the nearest Nazis when another soldier burst into the room, gun at hand.

And shot.

Indiana skidded to a halt, shocked. However, the guards in front of him fell to the floor, dead. The soldier fired a few more precise and deadly rounds into the Nazis until they were all lifeless, lying on the floor.

Indiana and his father stared in surprise at the man at the doorway whose gun was still poised towards the soldiers he had killed. When he glanced up, he stared at the two men for a moment before lowering his gun.

"Well, isn't it time we leave?" he suggested, motioning for them to follow him.

"But aren't you a Nazi?" wondered Indiana, shocked.

"God, no," replied the man, shaking his head. "Why would I kill them if I was? Let's just say I was not under their ranks willingly."

Without another word, the man turned around, glancing down the corridor, his gun poised. He looked back, motioning for them to follow. The father and son reluctantly walked up to the man, leaving the room.

"MUS-" cried a soldier before he was silenced by the man's gun.

"Let's go," he ordered as Indiana and Henry raced down the corridor, closely followed by the man.

A few feet away, more Nazis turned the corner behind the three men. They glanced back but only the soldier stopped and turned around, his gun raised.

"Go, I'll catch up!" he ordered, beginning to shoot towards the enemy.

Indiana pulled his father along as the older man was still reeling from the violence around him. As they ran, Indiana was trying to understand why that Nazi, no, that soldier, was helping them.

However, his thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly remembered Elsa. Thankfully, they had been running down the right corridor and he turned into the room he left her in.

"Elsa!" he called before skidding to a halt, spotting her and her captor.

"Well, Jones, it is a pleasure to see you. Now, if you kindly hand over the Grail Diary, we can all be on our way," ordered the Nazi, his gun pointed under Elsa's neck. When Indiana did not reply, the man pushed the weapon closer to the woman's neck. "Hand over the diary or the _Fraulein_ dies."

"Indy!" cried Elsa, shaking. "Indy, please!"

"He won't do it, Junior," cut in his father from behind him. "She's one of them."

"What?" yelled Indiana in shock, without looking back towards his father.

"That's it, the _Fraulein_ dies," stated the Nazi, earning another plea from Elsa.

"NO! Wait." Indiana reached into his pocket and pulled out the Grail Diary, showing it to the man. "Here it is, now release her and then I'll hand it over."

The Nazi sneered but pushed Elsa towards the archaeologist after a moment. She stumbled onto him before slowly looking up at him.

"You should have listened to your father," she whispered as she took the Grail Diary and backed away, returning to her spot next to the Nazi soldier.

Indiana stared at her, unable to believe she had lied to him all along. He felt betrayed. And he felt stupid.

Suddenly, there was a series of yells outside and, moments later, a small group of Nazis entered, the soldier who had helped Indiana and his father in the middle, putting up a pretty good fight.

"_We have him, sir!_" exclaimed one of the Nazis, saluting the head soldier.

"_Excellent, bring them all,_" he ordered, leading the way out of the room, the group following with the prisoners in the middle.

Indiana and his father were grabbed by the unoccupied soldiers and pushed out of the room. As they walked, the archaeologist knew better than to fight back seeing the amount of Nazis that surrounded them. He glanced towards the soldier that had helped them, noticing that, even if it was not as often, he would test the Nazis' grips on him, catching them off guard at some points though never managing to free himself.

As Indiana watched him, he finally had the time to study the man. The soldier had short, midnight black hair and piercing dark eyes, making Indiana wonder if they were really black or if it was a trick of the dim light of the castle.

_Who is he? _Wondered Indiana, puzzled.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Author's Note:_**_ Here is the next chapter early as promessed! And it is longer!! Yay!!_

_**Disclaimers:** I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Indiana Jones!_

_Enjoy!_

Chapter Six - Reunions

Once the group entered a large room, the Nazis still had difficulty with the soldier as he attempted several times to escape, almost succeeding at times.

However, once they stopped, one of the Nazis drove the end of his machinegun into the soldier's stomach. The man gasped in pain, doubling over as much as much as he could while the Nazis still held onto him.

"I knew something was wrong with you," remarked a man from inside the room, catching the three men's attention.

"Donovan?" called Indiana, in shock as the mentioned man moved towards them.

However, Donovan's attention was not on the Jones at the moment but on the soldier that had helped them.

"I can have you killed right now, you know that, right?" wondered Donovan as the soldier behind the man pointed a gun towards his head. "Did you really think you would get out of here alive? You betrayed the Nazis, Mustang. That cannot go unpunished."

The man, now revealed to Indiana and his father as Mustang, stared at Donovan, his dark eyes narrowing dangerously. However, before Donovan could give the signal, Elsa stepped beside him, holding out the Grail diary towards him.

"True, the doctor is right, this is more important," remarked Donovan, flipping through the book quickly. However, he stopped at a certain section and a frown spread. "Doctor, it's not here."

Elsa approached Donovan and glanced at the book as well. He handed it to her and she casually walked back towards the three men though she only addressed two of them.

"There was a map in this diary leading straight to the Grail's location. Where is it?"

Indiana stared at the woman, frowning deeply.

"He won't tell us," remarked Donovan, shaking his head.

"He doesn't have to," explained Elsa, a small smile spreading. "It's clear that he gave it to Marcus Brody and that brat."

"Well, I do not think it should be all that difficult to find Marcus," explained Donovan, walking back towards the middle of the room. "And taking the map from him will be just as simple."

"Think again," snapped Indiana.

"Oh, were you going to say that the person who was accompanying him would prevent that?"

"Wait... Was?" breathed the archaeologist, making Donovan smirk before he nodded to one of the Nazis near the door.

He left but returned soon after, followed by three other Nazis. They were carrying something between them and tossed it onto the ground.

"Edward," muttered Mustang, taking a step forward but was stopped by the soldier that held him back.

The young man was sprawled on the ground, unconscious and showing signs of recent injuries.

"We caught up with Marcus and this brat in Turkey but, sadly, Marcus got away. This brat put up a good fight but was outnumbered," explained Donovan, enjoying the men's reactions.

"Who are you calling... a brat," groaned Edward as he stirred from the floor before pushing himself up.

He pried his eyes open and glanced around the room, trying to focus on something. The first thing he saw was Donovan and Elsa who stood next to him.

"I knew it...," he whispered, glaring at the woman, clenching his fists. "I knew you were not to be trusted, Schneider."

Elsa stared down at the young man, unfazed by the tone of Edward's voice.

"Well, maybe you should have realized that earlier," she replied, shrugging her shoulders.

Edward growled as he pushed himself to a standing position, breathing deeply.

"Before you continue with your petit accusations, maybe you should know in what position you are in," explained Donovan, approaching the young man. "We know hurting you would not make a difference but, it seems that injuring your companions does have an effect."

Edward stared in surprise at the man before he glanced around the room. His gaze fell on the three men in the middle of a group of Nazis. The man next to Indiana was surely his father but it was the man on the other side that made Edward catch his breath.

"Mustang...," he gasped, shocked beyond words.

"Oh, so you do know him. That's good," laughed Donovan. "That way, we have three different ways to get you to cooperate."

Edward glared at the man in front of him before kneeing him in the stomach. Donovan doubled over, gasping for breath and from the pain. Edward, however, pulled him up and punched him square in the face. He tossed the man to the side and ran towards his friends.

Although, a gunshot resounded through the room, stunning everyone present. Edward skidded to a halt, searching for the source of the sound. He spotted the head soldier as he lowered the weapon.

"Now, I suggest you do not try that again," he stated calmly, pointing his gun towards the young man.

Edward glared at the soldier, staying extremely still. However, he forgot about Donovan who had stood and approached him from behind before punching Edward. The young man fell to the floor, growling in frustration as he rubbed the spot where the man had struck him.

"Well," snarled Donovan, glaring at the young man, "we were going to drag you along so that these three men would behave but, seeing your own behaviour, I believe it would be best to leave you here as well. But, perhaps in a different way."

Donovan glanced towards the head soldier who smirked in response, cocking his gun and aiming towards the young man. Edward raised his gaze and stared at the man, swallowing hard.

"No...," whispered Mustang, staring wide-eyed at the scene.

"Well, not in that way," chuckled the man, pulling the trigger.

"NO!" yelled Mustang as the soldiers around him held him back.

Edward was pushed back by the force of the bullet and fell to the floor, knocking his head hard on the stone. He lay there, motionless under the shocked stares of his three companions.

* * *

_**Author's Note :** Cliffhanger! Oh, aren't I mean... Next chapter soon!_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's Note:** Ok, now here is the conclusion to that evil cliffhanger that I wrote at the end of the last chapter! I hope you enjoy it!_

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Indiana Jones_

_Enjoy!_

Chapter Seven - Violent Escape

"Edward... Edward Elric wake up... I swear, Edward, if you don't wake up..."

The concerned young man grew extremely irritated with that voice as it kept poking at his consciousness. After a moment, the sound became clearer and he recognized who was talking to him. He growled in frustration, shifting from his spot on the ground.

"_And I swear I'll break your head if you continue_," he snarled softly, his eyes still closed. "_Shut up, Colonel Bastard_."

"Edward!"

This time, the concerned young man recognized the voice of Indiana, not too far from Mustang's. However, a constant throbbing began to form at the back of Edward's head, annoying him even more. With a groan, he rolled over onto his stomach and shakily pushed himself up.

"Thank goodness you're all right," remarked the third voice, sounding concerned.

Edward finally opened his eyes and glanced around the room, looking for his companions. He finally found them not to far away, all of them tied tightly to chairs.

"Well, talk about getting yourselves into trouble," murmured Edward, taking a deep breath as he tried to control the throbbing in the back of his head.

"Well, at least we weren't shot," replied Indiana, glancing to the side towards the young man.

"True," sighed Edward, moving his right arm around. "Damn it all, where is it?" he murmured under his breath.

He passed his left hand over his right arm, a frown forming on his face. Indiana and his father glanced at each other, shocked.

"Ah ha," whispered Edward, reaching under the fabric, near his shoulder. He moved his arm around, a concentrated frown on his face. After a moment, he held a bullet in his hand, staring at it.

"He really is a bad shot. No one would have bled to death because of that," remarked Edward, tossing the bullet away.

"Edward, why was there no blood on that bullet?" wondered Indiana, in shock.

The young man froze, realizing what Indiana meant. He had forgotten about being discreet at that point and cursed his luck. Mustang watched the young man as well, wondering how he would explain that.

Edward hesitated for a moment before sighing in frustration. He pulled of the jacket he wore and then slowly pulled off the large shirt, revealing his right arm for the first time.

"My arm is made of metal," he stated even though the men could clearly tell.

"Good God," whispered Indiana's father in shock, staring at the arm.

"How did that happen?" wondered Indiana softly, still shocked.

"I lost my arm during the war...," lied Edward, glancing away. "But sometimes... I prefer to have a metal one. It makes more of an... an impact when hitting."

Indiana chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"Well, now that that's taken care of, maybe you can undo these ropes, Edward," suggested Mustang, sensing that his hands were going numb.

Edward made a mocking face before pulling his shirt and jacket back on and approaching the three men. He began to untie Mustang since he was the closest to him.

"_So this is where you went,_" murmured the man in German as Edward struggled to loosen the ropes.

"_But why the hell are you here? Envy has it in for me, not you,_" whispered the young man, finally pulling the ropes that bound Mustang's hands off. "_But, how is Al?"_

"_Apart from the worry, he's safe,_" replied the man, finally pulling away the rest of the ropes with Edward's help. "_He's with my officers and they're keeping a close eye on him._"

Edward nodded as he moved to free the man next to Mustang. However, he stopped, realizing that he did not exactly know who it was.

"Oh, I apologize for that," chuckled the man. "My name is Henry Jones, Junior's, father."

"Junior?" repeated Edward, pulling at the ropes that bound the man before glancing towards Indiana who was being helped by Mustang. "Would that be-"

"_What is happening here_?"

The four men turned abruptly towards the door where a pair of guards stood, in shock. Edward sighed in frustration, shaking his head.

"_Finish off, Mustang. I'll take care of them_," murmured Edward before any of the adults could protest.

The young man charged towards the soldiers who, upon seeing their attackers, began snickering. However, as Edward ran towards them, he grabbed one of the staffs on display and, once close enough, swung it at the soldiers. It collided with the first one's head, knocking him into the wall, stunned. The other yelled out, lifting his gun which, within seconds, was knocked out of his grip by the blunt end of the staff. Without hesitation, Edward placed the staff on the floor, using it as support as he pushed off of it, kicking the man on the head. The Nazis fell to the floor, striking his head on the stone wall before losing consciousness.

The other soldier, who had regained some footing, raised his gun, aiming it towards the young man. Edward spotted him at the last minute and ducked down as the soldier shot. The bullet flew over Edward's head and struck a chandelier, making its candles fall to the ground, near a pile of thin fabrics. The fire from the candles slowly began to spread across the fabrics and onto the surrounding furniture.

However, Edward, after having ducked down, charged forward, hitting the soldier in the stomach with his right fist. The enemy doubled over and Edward finished the fight with a knee kick into the man's face. The soldier fell to the floor and Edward straightened, a triumph smirk spreading across his face.

Suddenly, a pair of strong hands grabbed his arms and steered him forward. Edward almost lost balance but the person still had a firm hold on him.

"_What the hell?_" he yelled, looking back.

"Time to go, Edward," explained Mustang, steering him away from the room.

Edward was about to snap back when he spotted the fire that was spreading around the room. He stared at it for a while longer before running alongside the three men. After a moment, however, someone had a thing on his mind.

"Junior, did you have anything to do with Edward's previous violent acts?" wondered Henry as the four men ran down the corridors of the castle, trying to find a way out.

"He doesn't need me for that, Dad. He's been like that since I've known him."

"Quite hard to believe after what I've seen you do!"

"I'll have to agree with your son, Dr. Jones. Edward is violent without someone having to teach him," added Mustang as the group climbed a series of stairs.

"Stop talking as if I am not here!" yelled the concerned young man, glaring at the trio from behind. "And maybe, next time," continued Edward, slowing to a stop, catching the men's attention, "you could try to lead us out and not into a... a dead end!"

The three men's gaze moved from the young man to the room in front of them. Apart from a small window, the area was bare. Indiana was about to lead the way back down when the small group heard yelling from the bottom of the staircase. They glanced at each other, their faces betraying their worry.

"Shit," cursed Edward.

"There has to be a way out," murmured Indiana, trying the window and searching around the small room.

Meanwhile, Mustang glanced towards Edward and, almost imperceptibly, cocked his eyebrow as he clapped his hands together softly.

Edward understood the question but shook his head gently, already having tried using alchemy in this world. Nothing he tried had worked.

Neither clapping nor transmutation circles.

Nothing.

"I feel, that if I sit down," began Henry, taking a seat on the only chair in the room.

However, as he did, it leaned back, activating a mechanism, and the floor on which Indiana and Mustang were standing on began to lower itself, creating a spiral staircase. Therefore, the two men lost balance and toppled backwards, much to Edward's amusement.

"The solution presents itself," finished Henry with a smile as he stood and made his way down the stairs, Edward following closely as he tried to hold back his laughter.

His attempt was futile, however, when he spotted the two men at the bottom of the staircase, an entanglement of limbs as they tried to separate and get up. Laughter escaped his mouth and he could no longer hold it back.

"Well, let's not dawdle here," remarked Henry, sidestepping the two men as they finally managed to break apart.

Indiana eyed his father before sighing in frustration, pushing himself up. He glared for a moment towards Edward whose laughing had finally died down and even if a small chuckle escaped his lips from time to time.

"No, don't help, Edward, we're fine," muttered Mustang as he stood, dusting himself off at the same time.

"Good, because I was not... planning on helping," replied the young man after a small hesitation, a smile still on his face.

For Indiana, he was used to Edward's stumbles while talking. However, that stumble did not escape Mustang's notice and he frowned in surprise at the young man.

As the small group ran through the castle, Mustang pondered over what he heard, wondering about the reason Edward had had difficulties with such a simple sentence. In addition, he realized that it was not the first time Edward had stumbled with his words, as if he was trying to remember them.

_As if he had learnt them recently and was trying to remember...,_ thought Mustang, glancing towards Edward briefly.

However, his thoughts were interrupted when the group exited the castle, reaching a river.

"Now what?" he wondered under his breath, glancing around before he spotted a stack of crates. "That'll work."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight - Into the Lion's Den

"_This is your great plan, Colonel?_" yelled Edward over the noise of the wind.

"_It's the best for what we were working with, Fullmetal,_" replied Mustang, not even wanting to look back.

Edward rolled his eyes as he glanced behind them, frustrated. Mustang's plan had been to highjack a pair of motorcycles from the crates next to the river. In addition, Indiana had set a motorboat onto the river to distract the Nazis long enough for them to ride away. However, what irritated Edward was the fact that they only high jacked two motorcycles and only one of them had a side cart. Meaning, he was now riding on a motorcycle, holding on to Mustang as he drove the vehicle down the road.

One could imagine Edward's dislike on the idea.

The young man was about to turn his attention back to the front of the road when he spotted three motorcycles heading in their direction. Edward squinted slightly and could barely make out the symbol on their arm. _Nazis!_

"We have company!" he called, catching the men's attention.

Mustang and Indiana glanced back briefly, spotting the three enemies, frowning slightly. They met each other's gaze before returning their attention to the front of the road, searching for either a way to escape or any means with which they could fight back.

In addition, they picked up speed, hoping they could manage to get some distance between them and their pursuers. However, the Nazi soldiers had an advantage. Mustang and Indiana were each carrying an extra person, slowing them down slightly. The soldiers realized this and, with a burst of speed, caught up to the two motorcycles.

Edward glanced back slightly in surprise but, with just that glance, he could not stop the soldier from reaching towards him, grabbing the collar of his shirt and coat and pulling hard.

With a strangled yell, Edward fell back, his grip loosening around Mustang before letting go completely. He tumbled to the ground, rolling numerous times before coming to a halt, the dirt and dust of the road slowly settling around him. Through his coughing, he heard the sound of a motorcycle heading in his direction. At the last moment, he dodged to the side, rolling out of the way as one of the soldiers passed by him, lifting more dust and dirt into the air.

He knelt on the side of the dirt road, listening intently, trying to make out any approaching enemy through the cloud of dust. He shuffled to the side and his hand came across a broken tree branch. He glanced down for a moment before gripping the branch tightly and standing swiftly.

As the dust almost done settling, Edward walked back into the middle of the road, hearing a motorcycle heading in his direction.

With a smirk, Edward raised the branch and, as the soldier entered the thin cloud of dirt, Edward swung the branch as hard as he could, hitting the Nazi in the face, knocking him off the motorcycle, lifting the dirt once again from the road. The man yelled out, hitting the ground as his vehicle toppled to the side, sliding towards the side of the road before falling down the side of the hill.

Edward, however, only paid attention to the enemy in front of him as he slowly sat up, holding his head tightly. Edward did not give the Nazi time to recover as he dashed towards him, punching him on the side of the face.

The soldier fell unconscious instantly.

Edward took a few steps back, clenching and unclenching his right fist, making sure nothing was broken. He could not afford to have a damaged automail, not without Winry there to repair it for him.

The sound of another motorcycle snapped him out of his train of thought. Edward whirled around, ready to slam his metal fist into the face of the person heading in his direction.

However, they were too near to each other for Edward to completely stop his movement. All he managed to do was lower his punch, striking the man in the stomach.

The person swerved the motorcycle to a halt, doubling over in pain.

"_What the hell was that for, Fullmetal?_" gasped Mustang, glaring at the young man from under his dark bangs, still clutching his stomach.

"_I thought you were the enemy_," murmured Edward darkly, looking away.

"_Remind me to come and get you again. I should have kept going...,_" breathed Mustang, taking a deep breath, his face scrunched in pain.

"_Oh, toughen up,_" snapped Edward half-heartedly, not looking at the man.

Mustang frowned towards the young man, his stomach still throbbing lightly from the metal punch. Without a word, he turned the motorcycle around before motioning for Edward to get on.

The two rode in silence, an uncomfortable one of that. Any time they had gotten into a fight, they could easily put some space between them. However, this time, they had no choice but to stay together, too close for Edward's taste, and wait out the tension or worse, work it out.

Heaven forbid the ever did work it out...

Therefore, the two of them stayed extremely silent as Mustang drove the motorcycle as fast as possible to catch up with Indiana and his father.

* * *

"There they are!" called Edward over the noise of the motorcycle and the wind, pointing ahead of them, up a small slope.

Mustang did not answer has he revved the engine, speeding up as much as possible. They climbed the small hill, spotting the two last motorcycles chasing after the Jones.

One of the Nazis heard the fourth motorcycle and glanced back, spotting the two new arrivals. He slowed down, riding next to Edward and Mustang. The two looked at each other, sharing a brief glance before Mustang returned his attention to the road while Edward swung his leg onto the motorcycle.

The Nazi stared in confusion before reaching for his gun. However, Edward did not give him the chance as he squatted onto top of the motorcycle and pushed off, almost swerving the motorcycle off balance.

The soldier yelled out in surprise, hitting the brakes but Edward's momentum had him hit the target none the less, knocking the Nazi off his motorcycle and onto the dirt road.

The two of them rolled on the ground for a while, each one trying to get the upper hand. Meanwhile, the motorcycle swerved out of control before falling onto the dirt road and hitting a tree on the side of the road, not far from where the two men were struggling, as its gas tank broke.

Edward finally managed to pin the Nazi down and he raised his right hand, ready to punch. However, the soldier was ready and dodged the punch, succeeding in switching the position. Edward growled in frustration, now pinned underneath the soldier who reached for his handgun and pointing it towards the young man.

Edward's breath caught as his raised his right hand, wanting to block the trajectory of the bullet. However, the two of them had forgotten about the motorcycle. Because of the combination of the gas and the broken vehicle, flames burst from the wreckage and, instants later, the motorcycle exploded. Edward and the soldier yelled out as they were both sent flying several feet away, black smoke obscuring the area as pieces of flaming material landed near them.

Edward groaned in pain as he pushed himself up, his entire body aching. Remembering the enemy, Edward scanned the surroundings, knowing the soldier could still have the gun with him. However, the young man gasped, staring in shock at the scene.

The Nazi was dead.

Burnt from the blast.

_That could have been me..._

Edward began to back away, shuffling on the ground, his legs already having difficulty pushing him away, let alone having him stand. When he was further away, on the other side of the road, he leaned against the nearest tree, still staring at where the soldier lay.

_That could have been me..._

Edward's limbs had gone numb as his gaze never faltered, his mind not fully functioning.

He did not even hear the two motorcycles approaching until someone knelt next to him, shaking his shoulder.

"Edward," called Mustang, trying to get the young man to reply. "Edward! Shorty!"

The young man just turned his head towards the man, his large golden eyes glazed over.

"_That could have been me..._," he whispered, his breathing ragged.

Mustang stared in surprise at the young man, shocked that he had not reacted to the short comment. He glanced around the area before his gaze fell onto the Nazi that lay on the other side of the road, unmoving and burnt.

_The motorcycle exploded,_ he realized, noticing the wreckage._ That's the explosion we heard._ Mustang returned his attention to the young man, noticing his injuries he had received. However, Mustang was sure that Edward did not care the least bit about them.

"_Edward, you are hurt. Let's take care of those injuries. You are safe now! Edward Elric! Snap out of it! That's an order!"_

The young man stared at Mustang, his breathing slowly returning to normal. However, his expression was not the least bit better. Mustang sighed in frustration, not knowing what to do.

"_Edward... Listen, you are safe. You're alive and that's what matters. Just like you tell everyone else, you have two legs so stand up and use them. Don't you want to go home? To see Alphonse?_"

Edward's gaze became more aware and more alert at the mention of his younger brother, much to Mustang's relief.

"_Now, are you going to mope around, Shorty, or are you going to snap out of it so we can get home?_"

"_WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING SHORT YOU EGOISTICAL, SELF-CENTERED BASTARD?_" yelled Edward, standing swiftly as he stared down at the man.

"You of course," replied the man, a large smirk on his face. "Now, let's go take care of those wounds before we head off."

"Like hell I need your help," snapped Edward, moving past the man towards the parked motorcycles where Indiana and his father were waiting.

"Are you alright, Kid?" wondered the archaeologist, seeming slightly worried upon seeing the injuries on Edward.

"Nothing I can't handle," replied the young man, unbothered by the blood on his face.

Indiana and Henry stared at each other, surprised. However, the younger Jones shrugged his shoulders, a smile on his face.

"Just as long as you're alright, that's what's important, Kid," replied Indiana. "You're as tough as nails."

Edward stared at the man, blinking in confusion.

"Forget about it."

"Oh, another one of your stupid expressions," realized Edward.

"Exactly."

"So nutshells and nails are common things to compare things to. Got it."

Indiana sighed in defeat, shaking his head before looking back at the young man. However, seeing the large smirk on the young man's face was enough to tell him that the kid cracked a joke, one of the few Indiana had ever heard.

"Well, let's not dawdle!" exclaimed Henry, catching their attention. "Off to Berlin!"

"WHAT?"

"We have to get to Marcus, Dad!"

"We need my diary to do so!"

"But Marcus has the map!"

"There is more to the diary than the map, Junior!"

Edward and Mustang stood on the side lines as the Jones continued their argument, thinking better than to intervene. Finally, Indiana gave in, sighing in defeat.

"Fine, let's go right into the lion's den."

"Good choice, Junior," finished Henry, seating himself comfortably in the side cart of the motorcycle. "Now, let's go!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine - DON'T YOU DARE EVEN SAY IT!

"Very smooth," chuckled Edward as Indiana returned, kneeling behind the car where the others were waiting. "And you got an autograph," he continued, showing no signs of trying to hide his smile or laugh.

"Well, next time, I'll send you, Kid, and we'll see how well you do," countered Indiana, tossing the hat away.

"Yes, sir," replied Edward sarcastically in a mock salute.

"Is he always like this?" wondered Indiana, turning towards Mustang.

"He has a thing of not respecting authority and I believe by you wearing that uniform, you're a target for his sarcasm," he replied nonchalantly though Indiana spotted a small smile in the dim light.

"It sounds as you know this from experience," remarked Henry, also smiling.

"You can say that," sighed Mustang, glancing towards Edward who seemed to have a satisfied smirk on his face. "But sarcasm goes both ways. I don't exactly mind his _small_ remarks all that much since they're only good for a _short_ time."

Indiana and Henry watched as the smirk on Edward's face disappeared within an instant, replaced by a furious expression. He lunged at Mustang but the man had been expecting that and moved aside casually at the last moment. However, before the young man rammed into the car behind Mustang, the man grasped the collar of Edward's coat as he moved past him and pulled back. This resulted in the young man falling flat on his back, staring up at a smirking Mustang.

"Two can play at that game, Edward. Remember that," he explained, motioning towards Indiana and Henry that they should get going. "Come on," he added, standing before holding out his hand towards Edward.

"I'll get you for that," growled the young man as he reluctantly took the offered hand and pulled himself up.

After a while, the small group made it to where they had hid the motorcycles.

"So, what do we do now?" wondered Mustang as he removed the covers they had used to camouflage the vehicles.

"We get to Marcus," replied Indiana, doing the same to his motorcycle. "We'll have to head to the airport if we want to get to Iskenderun in time."

"Well, let's go!" suggested Henry enthusiastically, getting into the side seat.

The three others looked at each and shrugged their shoulders. Indiana got onto his motorcycle as Mustang and Edward got onto the second.

"Remind me again why I can't drive?" muttered Edward as he reluctantly took a seat behind the man.

"Well, it could be the fact that you lacked the time to learn. There could be a lot of reasons to why you can't drive, Edward," replied Mustang without looking back, knowing his smile would earn him a punch in the face.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" growled Edward loudly before it was muffled by the start of both engines.

"Let's go," called Indiana as the group set off into the night, towards the Berlin airport.

* * *

Indiana and Mustang stood in line for the tickets as Henry and Edward were wandering the airport, trying to blend in since, as the group entered the airport, they realized that every soldier there was searching for Professor Henry Jones Senior.

Even while waiting for the tickets, Mustang and Indiana had some close encounters with the Nazis.

They had decided on one line and began they wait. However, after a while, soldiers appeared behind them, checking each person. Indiana glanced to the side where his companion stood and Mustang nodded discreetly.

Looking around, he spotted a woman having difficulties with her two bags as she searched through one of them. Casually, Mustang made his way towards her and caught one of the bags as it was about to fall.

"_Do you need help, mademoiselle_?" he wondered in German, making the woman glance up briefly, surprised.

"_Oh, thank you_," she replied, recovering from Mustang's appearance. "_But I am no mademoiselle, Monsieur."_

"_Then, I apologize if I have addressed you incorrectly,_" he explained, bowing his head slightly, a soft smile of his face.

"_Nonsense,_" laughed the woman, waving it off. "_It has been a while since someone has talked to me in this manner._"

As Mustang continued his conversation, Indiana took the chance and placed himself in front of the two of them and proceeded to the ticket counter. The soldiers continued their search in the wrong line as the archaeologist bought the tickets.

Mustang saw, from the corner of his eye that Indiana was leaving and bid farewell to the woman, making her realize that it was her turn at the ticket counter.

"_It was a pleasure meeting you, mademoiselle,"_ he said, nodding towards her with a charming smile before leaving.

After a moment, Mustang discreetly caught up with Indiana and they left the area, avoiding the patrols of soldiers as inconspicuously as possible.

"Good job, Casanova," murmured Indiana with a chuckle as they descended a set of stairs, trying to find Henry and Edward.

"Casanova?" repeated Mustang, confused.

"He's a fictional character known for his flirtatious acts," explained Indiana.

"Well, I guess I should say thanks," replied Mustang, a satisfied smirk spreading across his lips.

"_And what are you happy about?_"

The duo turned around, trying to find whoever had talked to them. Behind them stood a short boy, his midnight black hair hidden underneath a large messenger boy's cap. A little further away, the men spotted Henry, glancing over a newspaper towards them.

However, neither of them wanted to draw attention to the man as long as the boy stood in front of them, his arms crossed. After a moment, he lifted his head higher and the two men recognized the golden irises.

"Edward?" they both breathed, shocked.

The boy smirked broadly turning towards Henry.

"Told you they would fall for it," he explained as the professor approached the small group.

"And they did, it was quite amusing," chuckled Henry as he folded his newspaper. "So, shall we go?"

"When did he have time to do that?" wondered Indiana to his father as they walked in two separate groups towards the boarding area.

"Oh, it was quite simple actually," chuckled Henry. "That boy can be quite resourceful and cunning."

* * *

As Henry and Edward were waiting for Mustang and Indiana to buy the tickets, they wandered around the airport, avoiding the patrols of soldiers as much as possible.

After a while, Edward had heard one of the soldiers inform others that the professor was being accompanied by some men and a kid. They did not have any information regarding the men but they knew that the boy had blond hair. Edward cursed his luck and glanced around. He spotted a few things and a plan began to form.

"I'll be right back," he whispered towards Henry. "Just stay behind a newspaper for now. It won't take long."

"Be careful."

Edward hesitated before leaving, glancing back towards the man. He blinked a few times before nodding and taking off. Apart from Alphonse and Winry, almost no one told him to be careful since they always knew that he would get in trouble or hurt anyway. However, actually hearing it gave him a sense of comfort.

After a while, Henry was tapped on the shoulder and he glanced around before looking down. A boy was looking up at him though the messenger cap he wore hid his eyes partly.

"Hello, Edward," chuckled Henry before returning to reading the newspaper.

"You think it would fool Indiana and Mustang?" wondered the young man, readjusting the cap.

"Probably," chuckled the older man before lifting his newspaper once again.

Edward glanced towards the man, puzzled before turning around. He spotted a group of soldiers approaching and realized why Henry had done that. They approached the people around them until they reached Edward.

"_Have you seen this man?"_ wondered the head officer, showing the young man the picture of Henry.

Edward glanced at the picture, quickly coming up with a story.

"_He looks familiar,"_ he replied, pretending to consider the information. "_I think I saw him near the rest rooms. I think there was a boy with him..."_

"_Was he blond?_"

"_I believe so... I'm not so sure, I was in a rush,"_ continued Edward, trying to act sad that he could not help any more.

"_All right, we'll go check it out. Let's go,_" he ordered to the other men and they left without a second thought.

"Very good acting, you had me convinced for a moment, even though I have no idea what you told them," remarked Henry, folding his newspaper. "Shall we get going?"

"Sounds good," agreed Edward, nodding as they headed in the opposite direction of the soldiers.

* * *

"So, do you know how he turned his hair black?" wondered Indiana as they waited in line to show their tickets.

"From the look of it, I would have to say ink," chuckled Henry. "And a good thing he did change it. He looks like he's Mustang's son right now."

Indiana glanced back briefly and spotted the duo further away, also waiting in line. When he turned back a smile had spread across his face since his father was right. Because of the ink, Edward's hair was now the exact same colour as Mustang's.

Once across the gate, the two men headed towards the blimp which they were going to take. They quickly boarded and found a table near the corner. After a while, Edward and Mustang joined them, the young man wearing a large frown.

"What happened?" wondered Indiana, puzzled.

"He's just mad that someone implied that-"

"Don't you dare even say it," growled Edward, glaring towards the man.

Mustang eyed the young man for a moment before turning to the two men. He mouthed the word 'father' and they understood right away. Indiana leaned back in his chair a smile on his face as he glanced out the window, glad to finally be leaving Germany.


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's Note: I would like to thank all the readers who have not given up on this story and that have patiently waited for an update! I love all of you! And I would like to specially thank those who took the time to review! I love reading the reviews! They're always great!_

_****__Disclaimers:__ I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist nor Indiana Jones. They belong to their respective owners._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Ten - Flying High

"The way they act, you would think Edward and Indiana were related," remarked Mustang towards Henry as the archaeologist left to change out of the uniform.

"I could not agree anymore," replied Henry, unused to such violent behaviour.

Edward glared at the two men before leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed. Just because both Indiana and him had recently punched someone does not mean they were alike. At least Edward did not toss a man out of a blimp, claiming he had no ticket. Edward would have come up with a better excuse.

When Indiana returned, the blimp was taking off, the group finally being able to get as far away from the Nazis as possible for the moment. Therefore, they took that time to just relax and recover from the travelling and the fights they had been in.

That's why, not long after, Edward commandeered a sofa not far from a table and decided to take a nap. The three adults took the table next to the sofa, wanting to keep an eye on the young man.

"So, I realize that we never asked how you know Edward," remarked Indiana, glancing towards Mustang after they had discussed what they would do upon arriving in Iskenderun.

"Well, that's a long story," replied Mustang, taking a sip of his drink.

"We're not going anywhere," pointed out the archaeologist.

"True. I've known him for six years, him and his brother."

"He has a brother?"

"Yes, a younger one. They only have a year difference but not even twins are that close. Anyway, _how can I put this...?_ We work together."

"So, no relation to him whatsoever," confirmed Indiana.

"As in family relation? None."

"Alright but for coworkers, both of you seem close," observed Henry, glancing towards Edward.

The young man had moved during his sleep and now lay on his stomach, his left arm hanging off the side of the sofa while his right was folded above his head. His mouth was slightly open and a soft snore escaped it from time to time. The cap he wore had fallen off slightly and his hair, which he had tied into a ponytail to be able to hide it slipped out, curling around his neck.

"I don't think so. I'm the last person who Edward would think he was close to," explained Mustang, taking another sip of his drink.

"Now, don't say that," countered Henry, shaking his head. "I believe that-"

"_Al..._"

The simple name had barely been above a whisper but the three adults turned towards the origin of the sound, surprised. Edward's previously relaxed face was scrunched into a frown and his right hand was curled into a fist.

"_Al... I'm... I'm sorry..._"

Mustang watched the young man, remembering what someone had told him once. He had learnt that Edward's sleep was always troubled and it was only worse when his brother was not with him.

"_Please... please forgive... me...,"_ he muttered, his left hand lifting slightly, as if trying to reach something.

Mustang quickly got out of his seat and knelt next to the young man. Without thinking, he grasped Edward's outstretched hand. At first, Edward mumbled something incomprehensible before his face slowly relaxed. His right fist uncurled and he let out a slow, deep breath. However, his grip with his left hand only tightened, rendering any hope that Mustang had to get back up futile.

"Of course, you're not close at all," repeated Indiana, shaking his head.

Mustang was about to reply but thought better of it. He glanced back at the sleeping young man and then at the hand he still held. _Edward is not going to be happy if he wakes up and sees this,_ he thoughts, shaking his head.

However, when he looked back up, he noticed something very wrong.

"We're turning around," he breathed, catching Indiana and Henry's attention.

"They're taking us back to Berlin," finished Indiana, standing.

Henry quickly picked up their things as Mustang turned around, shaking Edward awake.

"Come on," he whispered, earning an irritated groan from the young man. "Edward, we have to go."

The young man groaned once again before he reluctantly opened his eyes. However, the first thing he realized was that he still had a grip on Mustang's hand.

"_What are you playing at?_" he muttered, quickly releasing the man's hand.

Mustang rolled his eyes before pulling the young man to his feet and leading him to where Indiana and Henry were waiting.

* * *

"You have got to be kidding me," muttered Edward, glancing from the mode of transportation and back to Indiana. "This is a joke, right?"

"Not at all, get on. Hurry," he ordered, noticing the sceptical glance that passed between Edward and Mustang. "It's that or jumping with a parachute on your back."

The two men reluctantly and cautiously took their place as Indiana and his father followed close behind.

"Junior, do you even know how to fly a plane?" wondered Henry from his seat in the back of the pilot's area.

"Fly, yes. Land, no," replied Indiana loudly before releasing the latch that held the plane on the zeppelin.

"And how the hell did you think of putting us here?" yelled Edward over the force of the wind.

"I heard of a group of archaeologists doing the same thing in the desert of Egypt. According to them, it worked!" replied Indiana.

"But didn't they crash in the desert?" wondered Henry.

Edward and Mustang looked back at the Professor and then at Indiana. Over the plane, they caught each other's eye and Edward make an irritated face which Mustang could only nod in agreement too.

What Indiana had made them do was sit on the wings of the plane, on either side. They knelt near the body of the plane, holding on tightly to the metal wires around them. However, what Indiana had not heard from that team of archaeologists in the desert was that the two people on the wings of the plane were lying on their stomachs, further away. It would have to do for now until they landed.

As they flew, Edward tried to distract himself from looking down. He had never been this high up in his life and he still was not sure if it frightened him or not. However, he was not going to figure that out now when he was kneeling on the wing of a small plane. Therefore, he kept an eye on what Indiana was doing as he controlled the aircraft.

Who knew it would come in use later?

After a while of flying, the sound of engines was heard over the wind. The four men looked back and spotted two fighter planes heading in their direction, and catching up.

"Junior," called Henry, turning back towards his son.

"You'll have to use the machine gun, Dad," yelled Indiana, trying to urge the plane to go faster. "Get it ready!"

Edward and Mustang glanced back towards the professor, both wondering if he even knew how to use a machine gun.

Their doubt was correct as the man began shooting towards the oncoming planes, each shot missing its target, not even close to reaching the enemy.

Edward glanced over the plane towards Mustang who had lowered his head, covering his face with his hand, slowly massaging his forehead in exasperation.

"Fine, I guess I'll take care of them," murmured Edward, reaching under his jacket and pulling something out, catching the adults' attention.

"Where the HELL did you get that?" yelled Indiana in shock as Edward swirled around, still kneeling on the wing of the plane, though in the opposite direction.

"Is that... important now?" replied the young man just as loudly, hooking his arm around one of the metal poles.

Indiana stared at Edward for a moment as he raised the gun and aimed towards the fighter planes that where coming back for another round. When one of them passed close enough, Edward began to shoot at it, surprisingly hitting the mark each time.

The first few bullets hit the front of the aircraft, penetrating the engine inside while the last two broke the window around the pilot and then hit the pilot himself.

"_You have been spending too much time with Lieutenant Hawkeye, Fullmetal!_" yelled Mustang over the wind, staring at the young man.

"_Are you jealous?_" replied Edward just as loudly, unloading the empty cartridge and refilling the weapon. "_Because, from the sound of it, you are!_"

"_That is not the point, Fullmetal!"_ yelled Mustang before bending down when the other plane came back, firing towards them.

Edward laughed at the man's reply, sensing the hint of jealousy hidden under the anger in Mustang's voice.

Indiana concentrated on flying the plane, lost in the heated and incomprehensible argument happening around him, between Mustang and Edward. However, he felt that it was not like their usual ones since the young man did not come out with a furious rant.

He was actually laughing!

Edward was laughing!

Indiana was shocked to say the least. That and the fact that the young man had the best shot he had ever seen. Indiana made a mental note to ask where Edward had learnt to shoot like that.

However, the plane suddenly lurched, the occupants yelling out in surprise. Indiana glanced back, noticing at the same time that his father was safe but that the tail wing of the plane was hit by the enemy fighter plane. He glanced to the left, breathing a sigh of relief as Edward, even with the gun in his hand, managed to grip onto the side of the plane and now stared in shock at the ripped tail wing before looking at Indiana with a face clearly saying 'Now what?'.

Indiana gripped the steering tightly, unsure of the answer. All he knew was that they needed to land. Well, they did not have a choice but to land seeing as the plane was losing altitude by the second. Glancing to the side, the idea of landing became a priority.

"Mustang!"

The man was barely hanging on to the plane, his legs dangling off the side. His face was scrunched in concentration as he tried to pull himself up all while fighting against the harsh wind around him.

Edward heard Indiana's yell and glanced up, behind the archaeologist, searching for the man. When he did not spot him the first time, Edward pocketed the gun and pulled himself onto the body of the plane, finally noticing Mustang's problem. The young man quickly lowered himself to the other side, ignoring Indiana's yells to be careful.

"_Colonel! What the hell are you doing?_" yelled Edward, kneeling next to him and grasping the man's arm, his other hand reaching for one of the many metal bars of the plane's wings.

"_Oh, I just thought it would be fun dangling thousands of feet in the air, Fullmetal!_" growled Mustang, trying to pull himself up with the young man's help.

However, when the plane hit a wind pocket, the plane lurched once again and Mustang, with a strangled yell, slipped further off the plane, his torso barely still on the wing.

Edward, meanwhile, still kept a firm grip on the man, his heartbeat speeding up. That was too much of a close call for Edward's liking. Mustang had almost gone flying off the plane. Just the thought, for some odd reason, sent chills down the young man's spine.

However, Edward tried again, readjusting his grip on the man and pulling back, attempting to get the man onto the wing of the plane once again. Mustang also pulled, one hand gripped by Edward as the other held onto one of the wires.

"Grab onto to something!" yelled Indiana, catching the two men off guard.

Edward glanced towards the front in time to see them landing in the midst of a herd of goats. The plane touched down, bouncing off of it forcefully and sending two of the four occupants flying into the flock of goats.

Indiana took a deep breath, glancing back to see his father slowly coming out of his seat. However, when he turned to the side, wanting to check on the two companions, he realized that they were no were to be seen.

"Come on, Dad, we need to find Edward and Mustang and then get the hell out of here," suggested Indiana, pulling himself out of the plane, soon followed by his father.

* * *

_Please review to tell me what you think of the story! Thank you!_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven - Problems in Paradise

When the plane had hit the ground, it had sent the two men on the wing flying forward, unprepared for the sudden lurch of the plane. Therefore, both of them went rolling right into the middle of the herd of goats, disoriented.

The goats, however, were none too pleased of the sudden appearance of the two men as well as an oncoming airplane. As a result, they broke down the fence, running away from the large mechanical bird that terrified them.

Edward stubbornly kept his eyes closed as the goats ran past him. He stayed on his stomach, curled up tightly, protecting his head and neck from the onslaught of hooves. He knew better than to try and get away from a herd of goats once they began a small stampede. Growing up in the country did have its advantages.

Moments passed before Edward dared look up at the now deserted enclosure. He tried to sit up but finally realized there was a weight on him, preventing him from moving. He glanced to the side and his eyebrows rose in surprise.

"_What the hell are you doing, Colonel?_" wondered Edward, catching the man's attention.

Mustang glanced up and Edward could tell that he was trying to hide the pain he had endured: Edward had made the exact same face many times before. The young man studied the surroundings and realized that the older man had been shielding him from the onslaught of hooves that had previously passed.

"_Idiot, why the hell did you do that?_" wondered Edward, frowning towards the man as he struggled to stand.

"_Did what, Fullmetal?_" replied Mustang, finally managing to get to his feet.

"_You know very well what,_" growled Edward, standing swiftly and glaring at the man.

Mustang did not have time to reply when Indiana and Henry entered the scene, running towards him.

"There you are!" yelled the archaeologist, skidding to a halt next to them. "Come on, we need to leave, those planes are coming back," he explained, motioning in the direction he had been running in. "Let's go!"

"Yes, sir," snapped Edward, annoyed as he ran, the others right behind him.

The young man managed a glance to his side where Mustang ran and noticed the slight pain in his eyes. His features were calm and controlled but his eyes betrayed him this time.

"Get to that car!" yelled Indiana, pointing towards the vehicle up ahead.

There was a silent agreement as the group jumped down to a lower level of the terrain, the fighter planes coming back for another round. The shots were fired and the men ducked behind large boulders, Indiana grabbing his father, keeping him pinned to the boulder to keep him safe from the bullets.

Meanwhile, Edward had felt a tug on his coat and his back hit the boulder just as a rain of bullets passed over him. He glanced to the side, spotting Mustang, his hand still gripping the young man's coat tightly as he watched the planes pass, his breathing heavy,

"_Would you stop that!_" growled Edward, glaring at the slightly surprised man. "_I don't need you saving me every two seconds! I can take care of myself!_"

Without another word, Edward followed Indiana and Henry towards the car, his anger still simmering inside of him. The young man easily caught up to the two men, even outrunning them, making him the first to reach the car, easily jumping into the front seat. He glanced at the dashboard, his memory serving him well from all the times he had been driven around by military personnel. He easily turned the car on and shifted the gears into drive just as the last member of the group entered the car, slamming the door at the same time.

"_I guess this is to go forward,_" murmured Edward, glancing at one of the two peddles at his feet.

"_Guess? You have no idea what you're doing?_" yelled Mustang more as a statement than a question.

"_Just shut it, Colonel! You're the last person I want to hear at the moment!_"

"Kid, quick question," began Indiana as he sat in the passenger's seat, "do you know how to drive?"

Edward slammed his right foot onto the gas pedal just as the fighter plane came for another round, the bullets lodging themselves into the ground right were the car used to be. Meanwhile, Edward swerved to the side, avoiding hitting a large boulder by inches.

"Know, yes," yelled Edward. "Ever driven, no!"

Indiana's eyes widened as he glanced back at Mustang who sat right behind the young man. Unlike Indiana, he was not shocked nor scared but seemed more exasperated as he massaged his head.

After a moment, he leaned forward, next to Edward, catching his attention.

"_Should we be glad that it's not your left foot on the gas pedal at the moment?_" he wondered, earning a growl from the young man.

"_No, you should be happy that it's not my right fist in your face right now!_" replied Edward loudly, swerving around a large pothole with ease. "_Now, SHUT UP!_"

Mustang frowned deeply before sitting back, staring at the back of Edward's head.

As Edward attempted to navigate through the dirt roads, the fighter jets circled in for another round, tailing the slower car easily.

"Edward...," warned Indiana, spotting the planes as they approached.

The young man swallowed hard, racking his brain for a solution. What could he do to get out of this mess?

Just as the planes were close enough, Edward slammed on the brakes, the bullets fired soaring over them and onto the dirt road in front of the group.

"That... that was close," chocked Indiana, breathing deeply as Edward slammed onto the gas pedal, making the car lurch forward, towards a nearby tunnel.

However, before they reached it, one of the planes had done a 360 and followed them once again. Edward spotted it in the rear view mirror and forced the gas pedal further down, needing to get to that tunnel in time.

At the last minute, the other fighter jet released a bomb right at the entrance of the tunnel, successfully blocking the way and scaring the entire group. To avoid that now large hole that was in the way of the tunnel, Edward attempted to avoid it, swerving to the right.

It was too late, however, to realize that the right side led right onto a mountain side as it plunged down to a beach below. Also, it was too late for the fighter jet that was following them to avoid entering that tunnel directly, breaking both its wings in the process.

Meanwhile, the car skidded down the side of the hill, its occupants yelling out loudly in fear.

By the time the car neared the beach, it hit a boulder, flipping it over and sending the four men flying out of the vehicle.

Henry was the luckiest of the group, having landed entirely on the soft sand. As he pushed himself up, he glanced around the beach quickly, only spotting his son from his position. However, he also spotted the last plane heading in their direction as well as the flock of seagulls stationed on the beach.

Then, and idea hit him.

Oh, this would be fun.

* * *

Mustang approached the fallen young man, offering a hand to help him up. Edward glanced at the hand then at its owner, a large frown spreading across his face.

"_I don't need your help, Colonel_," he growled, pushing himself up alone. "_I never did and I never will. So stop trying to help!_"

Edward began to walk away, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"_I promised Alphonse I would_."

Edward skidded to a halt, staring at the man.

"_What?_"

"_I promised Alphonse I would help,_" repeated Mustang before turning away.

Edward glared at the man's back before running up to him, moving in front of him and blocking his path.

"_Tell me, Colonel,_" he began, looking up at the man, "_what the hell are you doing here?_"

Mustang glanced down at the young man, studying him.

"_That's not the question you're dying to ask, Edward,_" replied Mustang, catching the young man off guard. "_You want to know why it's me here with you and not Alphonse. Am I right?_"

Edward did not reply, staring at the man in front of him as he took several deep breaths. He could not deny that question. Deep down, he had wondered the exact same thing a hundred times over.

"You can blame me for that too then," breathed Mustang before leaving the young man even more confused than before.

"_Wait!_" yelled the young man, running after Mustang once again. "_What the hell do mean, Colonel?_ Answer me!"

That caught the attention of Indiana and Henry as they watched in surprise as Edward grasped the front of Mustang's shirt, pulling him down to eye level.

"_Damn it! Tell me what is going on, Bastard!_"

"I thought you didn't want to hear it, Edward. Besides, now's not the time for this," replied Mustang calmly.

"_Yes it is! Especially when it concerns my brother!_"

Mustang stared at the young man, his dark eyes cold and distant. Edawrd glared right back. His gaze, however, wavered, unused to the anger the man in front of him was portraying. Yes, Edward had seen Mustang angry in the past but that was nothing compared to the emotion Edward was witnessing at the moment.

"Hey! Guys! What's wrong with both of you?" wondered Indiana, almost stepping between them, his stare passing from one man to the other.

"Nothing," replied Mustang softly, barely above a whisper. "Absolutely nothing."

With that, he pulled himself away from the young man and turned heel, walking down the beach towards the hill leading to the main road.

Indiana turned towards the young man, raising an eyebrow as he waited for an answer.

"What happened, Kid?" he asked once again.

"BASTARD!"

* * *

_Please tell me what you think! The review button is right below! Thank you!_


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Note:__ Here's the next chapter, a little late but longer than the others! Now, for those who were wondering what the hell is Mustang doing on Earth, here is the explanation! Yay!_

___Disclaimers:__ I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Indiana Jones._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Twelve -

Tell Me 

Edward glared at the back of the seat. His golden eyes a blaze of hate. Not that it was the chair's fault.

The young man just hated the situation he found himself in. He had to admit that Mustang was right, that he would prefer having his brother here with him instead of that man. However, it was not admitting it that put him in such a state. It was having to admit it out loud that was the problem. Why? How else would he get a word out of the uncharacteristically quiet Colonel? He had not said a word since their argument.

It kind of freaked Edward out to be honest. A quiet Mustang? That would be one for the history books.

Therefore, while internally debating whether or not to talk to the man, Edward did what came naturally in a situation such as this. He glared at whatever or whoever was closest, warding off any unwanted distractions. It usually worked.

"Edward?"

Key word: usually.

The young man slowly turned towards whoever had called him, his glare remaining the same as he wondered who was brave or stupid enough to approach him.

"Are you going to keep sulking until we reach Iskenderun?" wondered Indiana as he took a seat next to him. "You're face may get stuck that way."

"Sure it will... And you like being called Junior," replied Edward, returning to his previous pass time of glaring at the back of the seat.

"What's wrong? Is it because of what happened with Mustang?"

"Of course it's because of that bastard...," growled Edward, crossing his arms. "He thinks he always has to watch out for me, to help me! I don't need his help! And I never will!"

"Right... This did seem a tad more complicated than just you two working together," replied Indiana, slouching in his seat.

"Who told you that? That bastard did, didn't he?" snapped Edward before stopping and thinking about what Indiana had just said. "_With...? I work under him... Why would he lie like that? He never misses a chance to gloat about his position... What's he up to?_"

"Kid, I don't speak German so stop talking to yourself for a moment," cut in Indiana. "Do you really work with him or not? Because, honestly, I'm ready to trust you before I trust him."

Edward blinked in surprise, staring wide eyed at Indiana. Somebody trusted him over Mustang?

What was the world coming to?

After a moment, Edward sighed and shook his head.

"You should trust Mustang," he finally uttered, catching Indiana and himself off guard. "He may not look like it at times but... I hate to say this out loud... He's one of the most loyal people I know." Edward paused for a moment, recapping on the events that had gotten him so riled up. "He'll put others before himself, even if it means he's in danger..."

"No wonder you two argue so much," stated Indiana with a laugh. "You two are so much alike!"

Edward opened his mouth to protest but shut it after a while, no words coming to mind. It was partly true, even though he really hated to admit it. Why did he have to explain all of this in English? It still was not that easy!

"You really think that?"

Edward and Indiana turned around, spotting Mustang standing a few feet away.

"Me? Like Edward?"

There was a hint of mockery in his voice, renewing the young man's anger. However, Edward stopped himself, slightly glad that Mustang was talking to them.

"I'll leave you two alone for some bonding time. Besides, I won't understand a word you'll say," explained Indiana as he got up, leaving the two men alone, facing each other in an awkward silence.

"_What do you want, Mustang?_" wondered Edward, surprisingly without malice.

"_I thought you wanted to know what happened,_" he began, taking a seat across from the stunned young man.

"_Why are you telling me this now? What the hell changed?_"

"_I realized that I couldn't keep this from you. I hate to admit it but you were right... I can't keep something concerning your brother from you_."

Edward swallowed hard, his heart beat speeding up as millions of questions passed through his mind, each one concerning his younger brother and his well being.

"_Is he-_"

"_Alphonse is perfectly safe, Edward_," cut in Mustang massaging his head. "_As I said, he's with my subordinates..._"

"_Alright but you still have to tell me what happened._"

Mustang nodded, taking a deep breath. He had gone over the events several times in his head before coming to find the young man. However, he was now wondering if it was a good idea to tell him the entire truth.

"_Spill it, Colonel,_" snapped Edward, growing impatient with the man. "_Just tell me what happened!_"

Roy sighed in irritation, massaging his head once again.

_The night Edward disappeared..._

Roy Mustang leaned back in his chair stretching his stiff muscles. It had been a few hours since Edward and his brother had left but there was still a mountain of paperwork on his desk.

"I'm never going to finish this tonight..."

"What was that, Colonel?" Havoc poked his head into the man's office, a smile playing at his lips.

"Absolutely nothing, Havoc," replied Mustang quickly, snatching the nearest report from the piles.

"Whatever you say, Boss."

Havoc returned to the main room where the others had begun packing up their effects for the night. The blond man met Breda's gaze and they shared a knowing smile, glad it was not them staying late that night.

Fuery, who stood a few feet away, watched the silent exchange, not knowing whether to join in on the happiness or at least wait until they were out of the building, away from the stranded Colonel. The latter sounded safer.

Once the three men were ready, Havoc one again poked his head into the Colonel's office, wanting to bid his friend and commanding officer farewell.

"Hey Boss, have-"

The Colonel glanced up from his paperwork, waiting for the man to finish whatever his was saying.

However, Mustang realized Havoc's gaze was no longer on him but trained slightly higher. Within moments, Havoc dropped his things, pulling out his gun.

Without hesitation, Mustang dropped to the side as Havoc shot, the glass from the large windows shattering, raining down onto the Colonel.

"That hurt...," murmured a new childlike voice.

Mustang's attention snapped to the side as he watched the bullet holes in the chest of a large man close with a few red sparks.

"I would eat you for that but Lust said I couldn't..." The large man pouted in annoyance as he stared at the officers in the room.

"Let go of me, Gluttony!"

_How did I not notice him before?_ Wondered the Colonel slowly and cautiously standing, pulling on his ignition cloth gloves at the same time.

As one of Gluttony's arms was wrapped around the metal wiring of the window, the other held a large suit of armour.

"Alphonse!" yelled the Colonel, catching the young man's attention.

"Colonel! You have to-"

His sentence ended in a loud yell as Gluttony tossed him into the room, more specifically, onto the unsuspecting Colonel. The two fell to the ground as more gunshots resounded in the room.

After a moment, Mustang slowly felt the suit of armour's weight lift off of him. He groaned in pain as he tried to sit up, pieces of broken glass digging into his back. He tried once again but, this time, cold metal hands gripped him, pulling him up without much difficulty. Once he was moved away, he massaged his head, glancing around the room before his gaze landed on Alphonse.

"Colonel! Are you alright?" Even without any facial expression, Mustang could tell the young Elric was riddled with worry and guilt.

"I'm fine, Alphonse," he finally replied even if inside he was itching to say he'll survive instead. "Now what happened? Where's Fullmetal?" Mustang wondered quietly why it had taken so long for him to realize that Alphonse's loud mouth older brother was nowhere to be seen.

"The homunculi probably have him," blurted Alphonse nervously, shocking the officers. "Please, we have to go find him!"

"Of course," agreed Mustang, standing quickly, ignoring the sharp jolts of pain from his back. "Lead us to where you last saw him."

Alphonse nodded quickly before heading out the door, Mustang close behind.

"Colonel!"

"What?" snapped the man, whirling around to face his subordinates.

"You're bleeding, sir. You can't go out like that!" explained Fuery nervously.

"Watch me." Mustang reached for his dark trench coat, pulling it on quickly.

As he did, pain returned to his back, numerous sharp jabs and he was sure there were still some pieces of glass stuck.

However, the safety of his subordinates always took priority in his mind, especially the danger-prone Fullmetal. Therefore, the pain was quickly pushed to the back of his mind as Mustang concentrated solely on the task at hand.

"Let's go," he ordered, making his way out of his office and into the nearly deserted corridor.

Within moments, Mustang heard several footsteps behind him and he smirked knowingly. He knew he had chosen properly when he had asked these soldiers to follow him: they were as loyal to him as they were amongst themselves. They all looked out for each other.

"Colonel? Have you finished your paperwork?"

At any other time, Havoc, Breda and Fuery would have snickered at the face the Colonel usually pulled upon hearing that question. However, tonight was different and Hawkeye sensed it.

"What's going on, sir?" she asked, turning about and falling into step with her colleagues.

"It's Fullmetal, Lieutenant."

That was all Hawkeye needed to hear to get off the Colonel's case about the paperwork, her mind set solely on the task at hand: find and, if necessary, rescue Fullmetal.

* * *

"This is where we got separated, sir," explained Alphonse as the group stood at the entrance of an alley. "I was taken further inside before Gluttony backtracked and headed towards HQ..."

"Edward probably went in there," remarked Mustang, studying the dark alley with difficulty.

After a moment, he motioned for the group to follow as he led the way into the narrow alley.

The small group walked for a while, weapons out and ready as they continuously studied the side alleys they came across for any signs of movement.

If it had been any other type of enemy, Mustang would have had the group split up to cover more ground. However, knowing that they were up against homunculi, creatures whose powers were still a mystery to them, Mustang was not willing to take the risk of letting his subordinates fight them alone.

The homunculi managed to get Fullmetal, for goodness sake! And that young man would not have gone down without putting up a very intense fight.

Therefore, when a laugh echoed through the dark alley, all of them heard it and closed in on each other, forming a tight impenetrable circle. Each subordinate had his or her gun at the ready as Mustang's fingers were poised to snap and Alphonse was in his fighting stance.

"And to think, we were going to go get you another day, Alphonse Elric, but you came all on your own!"

"Envy!" growled the young man, scanning the area. "Where is my Brother?"

"Wouldn't you like to know!" laughed Envy, the sound bouncing off the alley walls once again.

Suddenly, the air shifted and a large thud sounded behind each of them, in the middle of the circle.

"Surprise!"

Each person was knocked forward, colliding with either the brick wall, trash or the cold, hard floor.

Mustang groaned as he struggled to push himself up. The ache in his back had returned, stronger than before. He glanced around, spotting his subordinates pushing themselves up as well.

Finally, he spotted Alphonse who was going one on one with the homunculus, Envy.

Without hesitation, Mustang snapped, a spark forming from the ignition cloth gloves before it erupted into a large flame, heading straight for the homunculus. Envy noticed the light but, even when avoiding the frontal blast, the flames encircled him.

His pained yells now echoed through the alley but it only enticed Mustang to snap one again, adding to the flames.

Once they died down, Mustang cautiously approached the curled up homunculus as blood red sparks cackled around it, healing the severe burns. The Colonel stopped next to Alphonse, both watching the homunculus.

"Where is Brother?" asked Alphonse, on high alert. "What did you do with him?"

Envy chuckled softly. "Your Brother? Pipsqueak? Let's just say he's temporarily out of our hair."

"What did you do?" yelled Alphonse, losing his calm and gentle attitude.

Envy merely smirked as he glanced up at the suit of armour. Mustang noticed that the homunculus' wounds had fully healed and his body tensed, ready to jump into action. From the corner of his eye, he could see his subordinates, Hawkeye with her gun poised towards the homunculus. Breda and Havoc, meanwhile, stood further back, near the wall where Fuery lay slumped against, unconscious.

"You so desperately want to know, young Elric?" wondered Envy, standing slowly. "Well, why don't I SHOW YOU?"

The homunculus charged towards the suit of armour but Mustang had already anticipated something and he snapped once again. Envy went up in flames and faltered, falling to the ground.

As his face regenerated, he turned towards Mustang, glaring dangerously in the man's direction.

"Once I finish with Elric here, I'll make sure to personally take care of you, Colonel," spat the homunculus, standing once again. "Now for you, Elric."

Envy dashed towards him once again, pushing against the armour. Alphonse slid several feet before he found his footing and pushed back.

Meanwhile, Mustang ran towards them, his fingers poised to snap once again. However, Envy anticipated this and, after pushing off Alphonse, stretched one of his arms back, transforming it into a large snake, its fangs poised to bite the oncoming Colonel.

Mustang skidded, trying to stop until he heard a gunshot resound in the area and Envy yelled out once again in pain. The Colonel glanced back and noticed the barrel of Hawkeye's gun was letting out a thin line of smoke.

Envy growled in anger, returning his attention to Alphonse.

"Might as well finish with you before taking care of them," he growled, jumping up before dashing towards the suit of armour once again.

Alphonse backed up a step, falling into his fighter stance. Mustang tensed once again, his gaze drifting behind the young man.

His eyes widened and time seemed to slow down.

A large transmutation circle was carved into the ground.

All it would take was one last push from Envy to send Alphonse right into the middle of that circle.

"Alphonse!" Mustang sprinted towards the young man and, at the last possible moment, pushed him out of the way.

Envy collided with Mustang and the man was sent careening backwards. He fell to the floor, rolling painfully until he came to a stop at the center of the transmutation circle.

He pushed himself onto his forearms, sharp jabs returning with avengence at his back. While looking up, he spotted Envy whose face was twisted in anger.

"DAMN YOU, COLONEL!" he hollered at the circle slowly began to activate. "It won't work after! It was Elric who was supposed to be sent beyond the gate!"

Mustang's eyes widened at that comment.

_Beyond... Beyond the gate..._

"Curse you, Mustang!" Without another word, he dashed off into the darkness, leaving the group alone.

Mustang tried to push himself up but the pain in his back intensified and he bit back a groan, shutting his eyes tightly.

"Colonel!"

"Stay back!" he groaned, squinting against the intensifying light. "Just stay back!"

"Colonel Mustang!"

"I'll keep an eye on him, Alphonse. You can count on that," cut in Mustang before the young man began a series of apologies.

"Please, both of you be careful," whispered Alphonse, kneeling next to the circle. "And both of you come back!"

"Alphonse, I promise to bring him back alive, no matter what." He paused for a moment, turning towards the stunned Hawkeye who stood a few feet away. "Lieutenant, look after Alphonse."

"Yes, sir," she replied in a shaky voice.

"Colonel! You-"

Alphonse was cut off when the light erupted, engulfing the entire alley in its brightness.

That was the last time Mustang saw Alphonse and his subordinates.

* * *

But of course, Edward did not get the entire version of the events: Mustang made perfectly sure of that. The Colonel's injuries were left out as well as the majority of the conversation he had with Alphonse before the transmutation took place.

In addition, Mustang purposely omitted the last promise he made. He knew Edward and he knew that the young man was mad enough at him for helping so much. And to tell him that he was supposed to bring him back as well? No way. Also, deep down, Mustang knew that Edward would realize the second meaning in that last promise: he swore make sure Edward made it back safely.

And Mustang in that promise?

Not even he knew the answer to that...

"_So... You made sure Al did not end up here..._," breathed Edward, slowly lifting his gaze to meet Mustang's dark one. "_Colonel..._"

"I did what's right, Edward."

The young man stared at Mustang, taking a few deep breaths.

"..."

"_Did you say something, Edward?_"

Edward frowned, turning away. Mustang was sure the young man had said something so he waited a moment.

"_Thank you..._"

Mustang's eyes widened his shock. Edward was _thanking_ him? However, after a moment, a small smile spread across his lips.

_For his brother, he would do anything_...

"You're welcome, Edward."

Edward looked up at the man and spotted the genuine smile before it slowly faded away, hidden under the usual smirk. The young man smirked back before standing, stretching his stiff muscles.

"_Now let's find this Grail so we can find a way home,_" suggested Edward, Mustang nodding in agreement.

The two men walked away and, further down the side of the ship, Indiana also stood, keeping an eye on the retreating backs of his two companions.

"Well, that settles that," he breathed to himself, smiling. "Whatever That was."

* * *

_Author's Note: So? What did you think? Surprisingly, I really enjoyed writting more about Mustang! It was fun actually! People don't give him enough credit! _

_What did you think? _

_Please tell me! _

_It could really help for the rest!_


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